


To Build A Home

by subtlehysteria



Series: You Are My Home [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, American Sign Language, Asexual Character, Asexual Din Djarin, Attempt at Humor, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Found Family, Intimacy, Kindergarten Teacher Luke Skywalker, Kissing, Light Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Making Out, Mute Grogu, Mutual Pining, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Pansexual Luke Skywalker, Sharing a Bed, Single Parent Din Djarin, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, The fluff is strong with this one, This somehow turned into a Christmas fic, past abusive relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 44,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29469438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subtlehysteria/pseuds/subtlehysteria
Summary: No more relationships. Din had vowed this to himself after what happened with Xi'an.And while Luke seems nice, really he does, he was also his son’s teacher. Besides, Din wasn’t comfortable with opening himself up to someone new again. All of his time either went towards Grogu or running his new security business. Besides, he was happy with their routine, happy with just the two of them in their house and his too-loud family barging in every Sunday for dinner. He was happy, really he was.So why was there a small part of him that wished Luke could be here with him for this?
Relationships: Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Din Djarin & Grogu | Baby Yoda, Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, The Armorer (The Mandalorian TV)/Cara Dune
Series: You Are My Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2185716
Comments: 110
Kudos: 376





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still stuck in DinLuke hell and honestly, I'm getting pretty comfy so I figured why not write the obligatory kindergarten teacher Luke and single dad Din fic cause honestly we could do with more of these
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Din’s stomach is in knots by the time they arrived outside Dagobah Preprimary.

Putting his car into park, Din switches off the engine with a sigh. He turns to look over his shoulder at where his son Grogu is sitting in his booster seat. He’s got his favourite green beanie on, the one with the long ears he tends to chew sometimes, as well as his favourite silver ball toy clutched in his hands.

“Alrighty buddy, this is it.”

Grogu pouts, silver ball rolling between anxious fingers.

“I know it’s scary, but I promise you’re gonna have a lot of fun once you get to meet everyone,” Din tries to assure him. Grogu still remains pouting so Din brings out his backup argument.

“Winta will be there.”

At this Grogu brightens, finally meeting his father’s eye.

Din’s lips quirk in the corner. “So, you ready to go meet your teacher?”

Grogu hesitates then nods.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

Unclipping Grogu from his seat, Din hoists his son into his arms, his bright green backpack knocking against his thigh as they walk through the entrance of the school.

The hallways are pristine, floor to ceiling windows letting in plenty of autumn sunlight as Din walks towards the kindergarten classes.

He may or may not had studied the building’s blueprints over the last few days so he knew exactly where everything was, including the emergency exits which he takes note of now as he walks past them on the way to Grogu’s class.

He counts the door numbers under his breath until he finds the right one.

The door is propped open with a colourful beanbag doorstop shaped like an owl, the sign on the door reading: Mr. Skywalker Class D2.

There’s a gigantic whiteboard covering most of the right wall along with a big mahogany desk and plush looking desk chair tucked in the right corner. The rest of the room is filled with small groupings of desks, a large carpet with numbers and letters on it in the left corner with bookshelves lining the wall. They are filled with children’s books and toys. On the wall adjacent to the door are a row of low-hanging pegs, most of them already occupied by the students’ backpacks along with cubby holes for any extras like lunch bags or toys and books brought from home.

Din’s eyes scan the room, looking for the teacher. He’s rather easy to spot in the end, kneeling down to talk to two kids near the bookshelves. He must notice Din watching him as he straightens up and turns. His hair falls about his face in golden waves, his smile sunshine bright. He’s got a white button-down on with a yellow sweater overtop, grey checkered chinos and a pair of two-tone white and mint green oxfords to finish off the look.

Even though Din is wearing his best suit for his meeting later, he can’t help feeling a little underdressed in this man’s presence.

The teacher approaches them, smile still firmly in place. It’s only when he’s come up to greet them that Din notices how blue his eyes are.

“Hi there,” the teacher says. “I’m Mr. Skywalker. And who might you be?” He directs this question to Grogu.

Grogu signs hello with a salute, finger-spelling his name out for the teacher.

Mr. Skywalker’s smile doesn’t waver however Din can see his confusion in the slight arch of a fair brow.

“He says hello, and his name is Grogu,” Din translates quickly. “Hey, kid, why don’t you go hang up your backpack while I talk to Mr. Skywalker quick.” He puts Grogu down, handing off his backpack to him and pointing out where he can go hang it up. Grogu nods and heads off to do just that.

Din straightens, feeling a little worried now at Mr. Skywalker’s reaction.

“He can’t speak,” Din says, “I’ve been teaching him ASL at home. The, um, the headmaster said it wouldn’t be a problem?”

Understanding flickers across Mr. Skywalker’s face. “Oh, yes, Mr. Yoda mentioned that! And no, it’s no problem at all,” he assures him. He scrubs the back of his neck, chuckling lightly. “If anything it might be a good opportunity. I’ve always wanted to learn another language.”

Din is taken aback. “You... you’d be willing to learn just for him?”

“Of course. And any future students who might also need it.”

“Right... um. Well, he’s not super talkative in the first place, but he’s still good at communicating. If that makes sense?”

Mr. Skywalker chuckles. It sounds like tinkling bells. “I’m sure we’ll get along great.”

Grogu comes back, attaching himself to Din’s calf. Din kneels, signing as he talks.

“Mr. Skywalker’s gonna take good care of you. And Auntie Cara’s gonna be picking you up, okay?”

Grogu nods, chewing absently on one of the ears of his beanie.

Din gives his son a wobbly smile. He hates being apart from him, but he knows this is important. This is where Grogu can really start learning and hopefully make a few more friends. It didn’t make parting from him any easier, though.

“Good. _Te quiero. Te veré más tarde.”_

He presses his forehead to Grogu’s, Grogu’s small fingers cupping his jaw. Din stays there a moment, relishing the love he can feel from his son. He could probably stay like this forever but if Din doesn’t get going soon, he knows he’ll find some excuse to just take Grogu with him to work. So he leans back, gives his son an encouraging smile and straightens up again. When he looks at Mr. Skywalker he realizes the teacher’s cheeks are slightly flushed. It isn’t that warm in here, is it?

“He‘ll be in safe hands,” Mr. Skywalker promises.

Din nods. “Appreciate it, Mr. Skywalker.”

“Luke.”

Din tilts his head in question.

Mr. Skywalker clears his throat. “I – you can call me Luke.”

“Din... Din Djarin.”

“Nice to meet you, Din.”

“Same to you...”

Din checks his watch. He’s gonna be late for his meeting if he doesn’t get going soon. With an awkward wave to Luke and a “Be good,” to Grogu, he speed walks out the door.

Long after he’s left the school he can’t stop thinking about Luke’s smile.

*

Leia Naberrie is unlike any other client Din has ever met. She is Coruscant’s newly elected senator as of last year and honestly, Din can understand why. She’s managed to bring a lot of good change in the year she’s been appointed, including bettering some of the poorer communities in the Outer Rim district to allow for safer housing without increasing the price on rent, just to name one.

She’s petite, nearly two heads shorter than Din and yet he knows instantly upon shaking hands with her that she could knock him right off his feet in two seconds flat without so much as batting an eyelash. Her hair is styled in an artfully plaited knot and she is wearing an all-white suit with a matching cape and pencil-thin heels that she’d no doubt use to stab you with if you got on her nerves.

“I know I’m probably getting a little ahead of myself as the party is only in three months, but I like to get things done as soon as possible and security is of the utmost importance for this event,” she says. Din nods along, pen in hand, ready to take any notes that might be important for later.

“It’s my parents’ twenty-fifth wedding anniversary so you can imagine with their status the kind of guests that will be present.”

“Is it mostly celebrities or is it important political figures as well?” Din asks.

“When I say everyone will be at this party, I do mean everyone,” Leia says. There’s a slight bitterness to her voice but she easily masks it with a serene, politician-approved smile. “There is going to be a lot of schmoozing going on between all the circles of Coruscant’s upper classes and I need security I know I can trust to stay off everyone’s radar and be able to quickly diffuse any drama without causing more of it in the process. And I’m told your company is the best of the best.”

She is right in that aspect. Mandalore Security has only been operating for two years but it had managed to garner a lot of good reviews from an extremely upscale clientele list. Not only were they favoured by Coruscant’s A-listers for being efficient and discrete but they were entirely unique in that all of their bodyguards were women.

“I’ll put my best women on the job,” Din promises.

Leia’s lips quirk into the first real smile she’s displayed since their meeting started. “Good. That’s what I like to hear.” She stands and there’s not a wrinkle in sight in her no doubt million dollar suit. “I’ll be in contact soon with the rest of the details. I’m looking forward to working with you, Mr. Djarin.”

Din, a little surprised she got his name right on the first try, offers a sincere smile as they exchange another handshake and then Leia leaves, her expensive perfume trailing lightly behind her. Din’s just sat back in his chair with a sigh of relief when Cara stalks in.

“Who was that and can I get her number?”

“Leia Naberrie, and no you may not.”

Cara whistles low. “Woah, the senator?”

Din nods, nervous hands running through his unruly curls. “She’s needing security for this big party of hers. I might need to put all of you together on that job.”

Cara hums in thought. She hooks an ankle around the chair Leia had been seated in a moment ago, swishing it around so that she can straddle it, arms resting atop the back. “Or maybe we might need to start hiring more people.”

Din must pull a face because Cara continues, “You know I’m right.”

“I just... we work well as we are.”

“Yeah, and imagine how much better we could be with even more badass ladies at our disposal.”

Din knows Cara’s right. Business has been booming and they don’t have the numbers to keep up with all the clients wanting to use their services. But there’s still that tiny voice inside Din’s head that whispers about eventual failure. If he hires more employees, then that’s even more people depending on him and –

“Hey, stop with the negative spiralling,” Cara says, snapping Din out of his thoughts. “Besides, I am sure we weren’t the only ones with Moff’s working environment. Put out a notice and we will have a line of women out there dying for a chance to work with us.”

Din sighs, shaking his head. “Why do you gotta be right sometimes?”

“What’s this sometimes shit, I’m always right? _A veces, mierda_.” Cara stands, kicking the chair back in and starting for the door. She stops halfway through, leaning up in the doorway when she asks, “What time am I fetching the kid again?”

“Two o’clock. My meeting should be done by four and then you’re free.”

“Good, cause I got a hot date tonight and there’s no way I’m missing it,” Cara grins, sending Din a wink and a wave over her shoulder as she leaves.

“Didn’t know a night in with a six-pack of beer was considered a date,” he calls after her.

“Fuck you, Djarin!” She jeers, not sounding the least bit like she means in.

Din chuckles. He opens up his laptop, preparing to get down to some paperwork when he thinks about Grogu. He wonders how he’s doing, if he’s making friends, if he’s struggling at all. Then images of Luke start appearing. Those wisps of golden hair begging to be tucked behind his ears, those sky-blue eyes and dazzling smile, how soft and sincere his voice was when he talked about looking after Grogu –

Din gives himself a small shake, waving the thoughts away.

No more relationships. Din had vowed this to himself after what happened with Xi'an.

Just the thought of his ex makes his blood run cold. Unwanted hands and harsh whispers wash over him. Din releases a shaky breath, banishing all things _her_ far, far away.

Xi’an and all the ghosts that came with her had no place in Din’s new life. He has Grogu now. He has Cara and Greef and Peli and Boba. He doesn’t need anyone else. Even if their hair is the colour of the sun and their smile is just as bright as one too...

_No, stop it._

Din wakes his laptop up, typing a little too harshly as he starts on his admin.

Four o’clock can’t come soon enough.

*

Luke is still reeling a little from his conversation with Din Djarin.

Well first off seeing a man in a three-piece silver pinstripe suit and mirrored sunglasses at eight o’clock in the morning was a bit of a surprise. But perhaps what was even more so was Din’s demeanour. He was the complete opposite of what Luke expected. Rather than this charismatic extrovert who was all talk, he was quiet, a little unsure, and always seemed to be thinking of his son first.

Luke takes a peek at where he can spot Grogu sitting with Winta on the carpet. The two got on like a house on fire, Grogu even willingly sharing some of his cookies with the girl.

Grogu himself was interesting. He didn’t speak but he wasn’t quiet. He was actually rather expressive, highly inquisitive and intelligent. His reading abilities were impeccable, though he did seem to have a slight problem with colours. Nothing Luke couldn’t help with though.

Before he knew it two o’clock came and went and the kids were starting to be fetched by their parents. At exactly 2:10 pm a woman who looks like she could bench press Luke without breaking a sweat entered the classroom. She was stocky, with a strong jawline and hard eyes. A black band tattoo was wrapped around her right bicep, dark hair braided to one side. Her keen eyes scan the room, lips downturned in a slight frown until she spots who she’s here to pick up.

“Hey, you little womp rat!”

Grogu runs up to her, the woman kneeling and opening her arms wide to allow the child to collide into her broad chest. She swoops Grogu up, holding him up from under the armpits and swinging him about. Grogu lets out small, hiccuping sounds that must be laughter if his beaming smile is anything to go by.

So this must be Auntie Cara.

Cara places Grogu on her hip and finally spots Luke where he’s sat at his desk. A thin-plucked brow arches and Luke swears he sees her lips tilt into a smile that reeks of mischief.

“Are you the teacher?”

“I am,” Luke says, standing. He brushes down his sweater, trying to rid it of any unwanted wrinkles. For some reason, he really wants to impress Cara.

“Hmmm...” she hums, giving him a very obvious look up and down. “You’re not what I expected.”

“O-oh?”

Cara gives another considering hum, meeting Luke’s gaze once more. “You’re gonna be good for him.”

“For Grogu?” Luke questions.

Cara releases an unladylike snort, flicking her braid over her shoulder. “Sure. You ready to go kiddo? _¿Dónde está tu bolso?”_

Grogu points to the wall where his and the other students bags are hanging on the pegs. Cara grabs his bag, knowing instantly that it’s the green frog-shaped one.

“Alright. Let’s get you home huh? Nice meeting you.”

“Ah, same to you,” Luke says, offering a warm smile.

Cara snorts again. “Oh yeah, this is gonna be interesting.”

Before Luke can ask what she means, Cara is gone, Grogu giving Luke a wave and a tiny smile over her shoulder.

Luke waves back, biting back the confusion clouding his mind. Din Djarin sure did have some... _interesting_ friends.

*

Din is a little exhausted after his last meeting for the day. The client was very particular about things that really didn’t need so much attention and yet couldn’t answer the actual important questions about the job they were wanting to hire a guard for. Din was used to damage control and convincing people that his good ideas were actually theirs. However, this woman really had been next level indecisive. Usually, potential clients were a lot more put together. Whatever the case, Din feels bone-tired by the time he’s trudging up the short steps to his front door.

Din bought this house for him and Grogu last year. It was honestly the nicest place Din had ever lived in, one he didn’t think he’d ever be able to afford but with their security firm’s growing popularity in the upper-class district, he found he was able to move him and Grogu out of their open-plan apartment and into a safe neighbourhood twenty minutes outside of the city proper. The street was quiet, a well-known neighbourhood popular with couples with younger kids. No less than five of his neighbours had come to greet him and Grogu when they first moved in. Honestly, Din had been a little overwhelmed with how nice everyone was. Quite a few had asked about how he and his partner were finding the new house, to which he’d awkwardly reply, “It’s just me and my son.”

That had always brought a sudden halt to the conversation. Most of his neighbours quickly changed the subject. One couple, Brenda and Lee-Anne, had offered to help babysit if he ever needed, and another neighbour had simply placed a gentle hand on his forearm and whispered, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Din had simply nodded to them all, not knowing how to explain that no, he wasn’t recently divorced or widowed. He was just a single dad, simple as that.

People tend to forget if they haven’t experienced it themselves that there’s more than one type of family. Din knows, he grew up with and lost that family. His Mama and Papa were good, hard-working people who had moved to Coruscant from Aq Vetina seeking work and a new start. That included having Din. He couldn’t remember as much of them now, he was only ten when the accident happened. He could still hear his father’s laugh, though, could smell his mother’s sweet perfume. He could never forget the smell of spices wafting from their tiny corner kitchen and the feeling of soft petals beneath his fingertips from his Papa’s small garden he kept in the windowsills of their apartment. It had been a bit of a tight squeeze with all three of them, but it was home.

The explosion was so unexpected and yet unavoidable, caused by the failure of an indoor mercury service regulator with an unconnected vent line. The unconnected vent line had resulted in a leak of natural gas that accumulated in the apartment building’s meter room until it reached explosive levels and ignited. Their apartment was located directly above the meter room. The fact that Din made it out alive had been considered a miracle but the simple fact was he was still alive because his parents had protected him, both of them putting themselves between him and the blast at the last second. It was no miracle, just love.

They hadn’t lived in the best neighbourhood, their apartment complex located in what was known as the Outer Rim where apartment buildings cut corners when it came to safety and health regulations. They were willing to put their tenants in danger if it meant saving a couple thousand bucks a year.

Din shakes his head, banishing his bubbling anger the memories brought as he walked through the door of his home. He could see Cara and Grogu’s shoes piled neatly to one side, Grogu’s bright green jacket hanging up alongside Cara’s leather one.

Entering the lounge, Din was already letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing Grogu sat on the carpet with Cara, working on a colouring book page. Cara looks up at the sound of his footfalls, lips ticking up when she sees him. Placing a gentle hand on Grogu’s back she says, “Look who’s home kiddo.”

Grogu’s head whips around and he breaks into a gap-toothed grin upon seeing Din in the doorway.

“Hey, kid,” Din whispers, meeting Grogu halfway. He hoists his son up, cradling him close to his chest in a much-needed hug. The last of his sadness seems to melt away with his son in his arms.

Grogu rests his forehead on Din’s, Din releasing a happy sigh. “Missed you too.” He cracks an eye open, spotting Cara standing up and placing an empty mug and two plates in the kitchen sink.

“He alright while I was away?”

“Yeah, we worked on the bit of homework he had to do. He’s had an apple with some peanut butter as a snack, oh and his teacher is 100% your type.”

Din falters at that last part, frowning at Cara. “What?”

Cara shrugs, putting on an innocent air. “Nothing, just, his teacher’s kinda pretty and I thought maybe you’d –”

“Cara,” Din says, low in warning.

“– like to take a crack at it,” Cara finishes.

Din levels her with an unimpressed glare over Grogu’s head.

His son pulls back from his father, looking between the two of them. His small hands move in quick, sure movements, asking what’s wrong.

“Nothing’s wrong, we’re just talking about Mr. Skywalker,” Din assures him.

Grogu lights up at the mention of his teacher, hands moving a little more excitedly as he tells Din about his day, how nice Mr. Skywalker is and oh! he’s gonna help Grogu with colours. Also, Winta and Omera say hi.

Din takes in everything his son is saying, nodding along and humming interestedly whilst ignoring Cara’s suggestive eyebrow wiggle every time Grogu sings Luke’s praises.

“He sounds like a good teacher,” Din says.

“And looks like a pretty boy,” Cara remarks.

Din ignores that, asking, “Don’t you have a hot date to get to?”

Cara waves him off, starting for the door. She pauses at Din’s side, whispering between them, “He seems sweet.”

Din clears his throat, murmuring, “Seems like it, yeah.”

“You’re so gonna fall for him,” Cara jibes, giving him a hearty slap to the back before starting down the hallway towards where her shoes and jacket are waiting.

Din rolls his eyes. “You know I’m not interested in that anymore.”

Cara shrugs, shoving her feet into her knee-high boots and tying the laces with quick precision. “Who knows, maybe this’ll be your glass slipper, Cinderella.”

“Cara –”

“Just think about it, Mando,” she says, using her old nickname for him he hasn’t heard in a long time. As in first year together at Moff’s security firm long.

Din doesn’t offer a reply, watching his friend sling on her jacket and wish them both excellent evenings. “Cause I’m sure as hell gonna be having one.”

“Too much info Cara,” Din mumbles, not really meaning it.

Cara simply offers him a sly wink and a final wave. She calls out, “See you for dinner on Sunday!” to them both before trotting down the stairs, the door slipping closed behind her.

Din sighs, looking down at Grogu when he feels his son tugging on his shirt.

Grogu tilts his head in question. Din can read his son’s body language with ease at this point.

“I’m okay, buddy. Just a long day at the office talking to some silly people. Now, what’s this homework you had to do?”

*

“So what I’m hearing is you have a crush?”

Luke grumbles under his breath, cursing his sister’s intuition.

Luke may or may not have had one too many glasses of wine with his microwave mac n cheese and called Leia about his little... problem.

“No, no, Leia, I talked to the man for a total of five minutes. I can’t have a –”

“It has taken you half that amount of time to form a crush on multiple occasions, don’t kid yourself.”

Luke shakes his head, glaring at his sister through his cracked phone screen. He’s really regretting Tipsy Luke’s decision to facetime Leia.

“No, nope, I’m just highly intrigued by this guy. Like, I was totally ready to peg him as one of those Wall Street dads, you know the ones.”

Leia nods with a roll of her eyes, knowing exactly who Luke was referring to. With the company their parents keep, they had met more than their fair share of cocky wall street businessmen, smarmy senators who should really not be in such high stakes positions of power and enough military generals to form their own small armada.

“But he totally wasn’t one of those!” Luke continues. Artoo hops onto the counter with a small “Mrrp!” Luke strokes his white and grey-spotted cat between the ears and under the chin, eliciting some happy purrs as he continues talking. “He was so quiet and kinda shy almost and you should have seen the way he was with his son. I swear...”

Leia listens, nodding along to her brother’s drunk ramblings. She can’t help but connect what Luke is describing with the Mr. Djarin she’d spoken to earlier that day. Same awkward shyness, same tousled brown curls and three-piece suit, and she had seen a picture of him and a kid on his desk.

But that would be too easy, and far less fun, so she keeps this little bit of info to herself for now, interested to see how this might play out.

She listens to her brother go on and on, Luke only stopping long enough to take large sips of his wine.

When Luke’s finally talked himself out of air Leia hums and says, “So, a crush. _Like I just said.”_

“Leiaaaaaa!” Luke groans, resting his forehead against the cool kitchen countertop.

“I think he sounds at least nice enough to warrant getting to know a little better,” she says, refusing to rescind her statement because it is a fact and they both know it even if Luke is in deep denial.

Luke peels his forehead off the counter, pouting at his sister. “I mean... I guess.”

*

The first thing Din had bought for their new house was a large twelve-seater dining table. He knew his family would insist on having their Sunday get-togethers here once they saw the size of the house. And honestly, Din didn’t mind all too much. It made it a little easier to cook in his own kitchen where he was familiar with everything already, plus Grogu had access to all his favourite toys if needed. Din liked cooking. It was calming, a good way to release his stress from work and let his hands work on autopilot without having to overthink anything. That and pounding the punching bag strung up in his back garden.

He’s just starting to spice the meat that’ll be going in the oven when the doorbell rings. Grogu is up from his spot on the couch and sprinting for the door before Din can start wiping his hands off on the dishcloth slung over his shoulder.

He hears the door open and an excited yell of “Hey, kiddo!”

Din grins to himself, watching as Greef Karga enters the lounge with Grogu in his arms. The dark-skinned man has a well-trimmed salt and pepper beard, warm coffee-ground eyes and is dressed impeccably even just for a family get together.

“Hey,” Din calls from the kitchen, offering Greef a distracted wave.

“Hey, yourself. Been alright?” Greef asks.

Din shrugs. “Ah you know. Eccentric clients, more requests than I can keep up with, the usual.”

“Cara tells me you’ll be hiring more help soon.”

Din curses Cara under his breath. Greef continues on, unaware of Din’s suffering.

“I have a few ladies who I think would fit Mandalore perfectly.”

Din pauses at this. He swivels round to find Greef looking at him already with a considering smile.

“You... you do?”

Greef nods. “Most are ex-army. They’re in the same situation your lot were in with Moff. They want out and seemed highly interested when I mentioned you might be hiring.”

“That... that would be... th-thank you –”

“Oh don’t thank me,” Greef says, waving Din’s words away. “I’ve already made the interview appointments with you through Cara.”

“Of course you have,” Din grumbles.

Just then the doorbell rings again. Grogu wiggles in Greef’s arms, Greef putting him down so Grogu can go open the door again.

“I don’t know why you lot bother ringing the bell, you practically all live here anyway,” Din remarks, more to himself than to his friends.

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand come waltzing into the lounge next. Boba is a heavy-set man in his fifties with a shaved head and enough scars to put any supervillain to shame. He’s practically Din’s unofficial uncle and was also his mentor when he first started working as a bodyguard. He’s retired now, enjoying a rather cushy retirement at that. Fennec is another one of Boba’s old mentees. Short and feisty, the Chinese American woman was an ex-sharpshooter for the US Marines turned bodyguard under Boba’s guidance. The two were thick as thieves and the least likely pair of friends you’d ever meet.

Boba, having said hello to Grogu and Greef, waltzes over to Din, clapping him on the shoulder in greeting.

“Good to see you, Djarin.”

“Long time no see,” Din replies even though it’s only been a week.

Boba places two bottles of wine on the counter, one red, one white.

Din eyes the bottle of Merlot, wondering if it’s too early to pour himself a glass yet.

“Sup Djarin,” Fennec greets.

Din raises his hand in a hello, going back to his food prep. He can wait a few more minutes before he cracks open the wine.

Over the next half hour, the doorbell rings another three times.

Next up was Bo-Katan, a fiery red-headed woman with an iron will and Koska Reeves, all tanned skin and lithe muscle. She hardly ever smiles but neither does Fennec, so it doesn’t bother anyone much.

Then there’s Cobb Vanth. Charismatic with a slight Texan twang, Cobb looked like he’d stepped out of one of those old Clint Eastwood films with his cowboy’s gait and unironic use of fringed leather jackets.

By this point Din’s put the roast in the oven and is on his first glass of red wine with Fennec. They’re the only two who like Merlot.

Peli Motto comes in with ten minutes to spare before the food’s done, covered in motor oil with her curls a mess, apologizing for being late and dirty.

“Damn radiator in this one car refuses to be fixed. I swear it’s cursed or something – oh there he is!” Peli scoops Grogu up, the kid giggling silently, beaming brighter than the sun under all the attention. Unlike Din who prefers to sit on the sidelines and watch, Grogu loves being the center of attention. He has the uncanny knack of making anyone, absolutely anyone, fall in love with him. How else could Din manage to have the roughest, toughest, seemingly most cold-hearted bodyguards and people he knows all under one roof without causing utter chaos.

“Oi, Dinny Din,” Peli calls out, “You better not over roast that, you know I like my meat –”

“Medium rare,” Din finishes. “I know Peli.”

Din had worked in Peli’s garage during high school to make a few extra bucks. He was good with engines, had the “magic touch” or so Peli says. Twenty years later, Din still brings his Chevy in to Peli’s garage if it’s ever in need of a fix – which, with how old his car is at this point, is a little more often than he’d like. Peli and pretty much anyone else who gets a good look at that rust bucket tells him he should trade it in for something new, but he’d worked hard to earn that car, so what if he was a little sentimental and unwilling to part with it.

“Where’s Cara?” Cobb asks, sipping on a bright blue cocktail Din doesn’t even know where he got from and frankly does not want to ask.

“Says she’s running late but she will be here and we can start without her,” Fennec answers, being the unsocial person she is and scrolling through her phone. She’s no doubt slamming misogynists on Twitter. It’s what she considers a hobby.

Everyone helps set up the table, settling down while Din takes out the roast beef and vegetables from the oven. There are also fresh bread rolls, mashed potatoes, plenty of gravy and lots of booze to go around – except for Grogu who enjoys a cup of lemonade. It was sort of the unsaid rule that Din would cook for them all as long as they pitched in for the groceries and did the clean up afterwards. And brought wine. _Lots_ of it.

They’ve all settled down and started serving up portions when Cara comes stumbling through the door, not bothering to ring the bell to announce her arrival.

“Sorry I’m late!” she says, heavy footfalls preceding her as she speed-walks through the lounge entrance towards the dining area. She takes her usual spot to Din’s right, greeting everybody as she pushes her chair in and grabs a bread roll.

“And why exactly are you late?” Din questions lightly.

Cara grins. “I may or may not had been seeing that hot date of mine for coffee.”

Din is taken aback. Cara isn’t really one for relationships, so the fact she’s seen the same date twice in one week is a surprise and almost unheard of.

Cobb whistles, no doubt thinking what Din is. “She’s gotta be something special.”

Cara’s grin softens just the slightest bit as she says, “She is.”

Din hums in thought, but doesn’t comment on it for now. She sounds happy, that’s what’s most important.

“So, how was Grogu’s first week at kindergarten?” Greef asks, directing his question to Grogu and Din.

Grogu brightens up, hands moving while Din translates.

“He’s enjoying it a lot. Mr. Skywalker’s a very good teacher. He’s already learned a few basic phrases in ASL with Grogu’s help.” Din’s a little surprised at this, not realizing Luke was actually serious when he said he’d try to learn for Grogu’s sake.

Greef’s eyebrows rise up to his hairline. He and Cara share a look and _oh no_. Din does not like the look of that.

“Ah, and what is this Mr. Skywalker like?” This one’s directed straight at Din. He sends a glare to Cara who simply shrugs, grinning around her forkful of roast beef.

The rest of the table’s interest has been piqued as well, the conversations all tapering off to listen to Din’s reply.

Din clears his throat, shifting a little uncomfortably in his seat. Grogu also looks interested to see what his father’s opinion of Luke is.

“Well, uh... he seems nice. Kinda young.”

“He’s twenty-eight,” Cara pipes up.

“Right... um.”

“What’s he look like?” Cobb asks. He’s got an elbow on the table, head resting in hand.

“Blonde, blue eyes, maybe a couple of inches shorter than me?”

“He’s a pretty boy who wears pastel sweaters and the weirdest pair of shoes I’ve ever seen. But somehow he makes it work,” Cara speaks up again. Din kicks her ankle under the table. She returns it by stomping on his foot with her hobnail boots.

“Sounds cute,” Cobb says lightly. His hazel eyes are alight with interest. “Is he taken?”

Bo-Katan slaps him upside the head, Cobb clutching the sore spot with a wince. “What? I’m jus’ curious!”

“Keep it in your pants cowboy, can’t you tell Din’s already got his eyes on him?” Fennec remarks.

Din shakes his head, wondering if he heard that right. “I don’t –”

“You do,” Fennec says. It’s a statement, one Din should not choose to argue with unless he wants a face full of mashed potatoes.

Din’s eyes flick to the rest of the table who all seem to be in agreement.

Din growls, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ve barely said five words to him at most.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t like what you see,” Cara says lightly. Din gives her shin another kick, just barely dodging a return kick of her own.

“I’m not doing that anymore,” Din bites out.

The table goes awfully quiet. Grogu tugs on his father’s shirt sleeve, looking up at him in question.

Din sighs. He puts his utensils down so he can sign while talking.

“I was together with someone for a very long time who wasn’t very nice, to me or to other people. I don’t want to make that same mistake.”

“Skywalker is not Xi’an,” Cara says, voice soft but firm.

Din clicks his tongue, picking up his knife and fork again and cutting into his roast beef a little too roughly. “Let’s just drop it, okay?”

Thank the gods for Peli who, with an unsubtle wink sent Din’s way, starts up a story about a problem client who keeps coming back for more and more strange modifications to his car. It redirects everyone’s attention and the light conversations pick up once again.

Din watches his family, hands shaking slightly where they’re gripping tightly on his utensils.

A small, warm hand lays upon his own and Din looks down to see Grogu staring up at him with big, imploring eyes.

Din loosens his grip on his fork so he can take Grogu’s hand in his own, giving it a reaffirming squeeze.

“I’m okay,” he murmurs, just between them.

Grogu smiles, free hand signing.

Din can’t help the light chuckle at his son’s words.

“I’m sure Mr. Skywalker is as nice as you say, yes.”

Grogu nods, giving his father’s hand another quick squeeze before digging back into his supper.

Din understands his family means well. They look out for each other because no one else will, it’s why they’re each other’s family. But he wasn’t ready to open himself up like that again just yet. It took a lot to earn his trust and Xi’an had completely broken that trust with what she did. Din was allowed to take some time for himself, and he knew his friends understood that. He also knew they meant well by pushing him towards the first good sign of maybe-attraction towards someone he’s had in years. Luke seems nice, really he does. But he was his son’s teacher, and Din wasn’t comfortable with opening himself up to someone new again. All of his time either went towards Grogu or his work. Besides, he was happy with their routine, happy with just the two of them in their house and his too-loud family barging in every Sunday. He was happy, really he was.

So why was there a small part of him that wishes Luke could be here with him for this?

*

Over the next few weeks, Luke quickly becomes introduced to Din’s inner circle of friends.

Fennec Shand uses as little words as possible when speaking and seems to be eternally glaring. The first time she comes to fetch Grogu she sizes Luke up and leaves without saying a word; though her lips do quirk in the corner for a second as if she’d found something amusing.

Greef Karga was a rather big surprise. Luke knew who he was because of Leia but thankfully Karga didn’t seem to recognize him. Luke had sort of melted into the shadows over the last few years when it came to his family and their circle of A-list friends. Karga was Coruscant’s Attorney General and the senate’s legal advisor. Leia had often sung his praises as a man who got the job done and knew how to have some fun while doing it. He’d greeted Luke with a big smile and a firm handshake but as soon as Grogu was in his arms all of his attention was turned to the kid, not that Luke minded. It was very obvious Karga spoiled Grogu rotten and the child took great advantage of this if the entire lunch bag of sweets Karga helped him hide in his backpack was anything to go by.

Luke swears Cobb Vanth was a cowboy in another life. He has the accent, the gait, even a red bandana he wears around his neck and a fringed leather jacket. He gives Luke an appreciative look and a wink upon greeting him which leaves Luke feeling rather hot around the collar. His eyes dart to Luke’s shoes, black Chanel boots to go with his all-black ensemble for the day, as he hoists Grogu onto his back for a piggyback ride. “Nice shoes,” he says with a wink and a grin and then he’s gone, leaving Luke very flustered and rather pleased.

Bo-Katan Krytze is probably Cobb’s complete opposite. Where he is a shameless flirt who uses flowery words and laughing eyes, Bo-Katan does not mince her words and is succinct. However, Luke must say something right because she gives him a nod and slight bow upon greeting him. She also remarks something about liking his shoes upon her leaving.

Luke does recognize Omera as she’s Winta’s mother. She’s an Indigenous woman with kind eyes and always the most beautiful braids in her hair. More than a few times she takes Grogu home along with Winta. Luke had asked how she and Din knew each other as he’d never seen them interact during morning drop-offs. She’d explained that she and Din met on a single parent forum a couple of months before the school year started and that they often helped each other out.

Luke dims a little at this, thoughts of Omera and Din being together encroaching on his small bit of hope. Omera must notice his distress as she quickly adds, “Din and I are just good friends, by the way. He’s very much available.”

Luke sputters, embarrassed he was so easy to read. Omera simply smiles, taking Winta and Grogu’s hands as she guides them out the door with the promise of ice cream on the way home.

The person who comes the most often is still Cara, however. And each time she does she smiles at Luke in a way that suggests she’s in on some joke that Luke isn’t privy to but is most definitely a part of – or perhaps, more likely, the punchline.

Luke and Din don’t talk an awful lot during the mornings, Din often having to rush off within ten minutes of dropping Grogu off or risk being late for meetings with important people if his array of lovely suits and matching waistcoats are anything to go by. But slowly, Luke starts to learn something new about Din each time. Simple things, like that he hates coffee about as much as he hates Starbucks and rather gets to-go tea from a small café that’s between his home and the school. Or that he only wears waistcoats for very important meetings, or that he only owns one pair of nice shoes. Or that he speaks not only Spanish and ASL but a few other languages including Zulu and Greek which Luke hears him speaking over the phone on two separate occasions while dropping Grogu off. Also, his phone screen is still perfectly intact compared to Luke’s with all its spidery cracks, but Din’s black phone cover is decorated in childlike scribbles of frogs and flowers done with acrylic paint pens – no doubt Grogu’s handiwork.

Luke regrettably decides early on, though, that while Din is highly fascinating and a little puzzling (and very, _very_ attractive), he has to accept that he and Din aren’t ever going to exchange more than niceties for the rest of the year. Then, before he knows it, Grogu will no longer be his student and he’ll no longer have an excuse to talk to Din ever again.

He says as much to Ahsoka Tano, a friend and one of the other teachers at the school. They’re sitting together in the teacher’s lounge, sipping on large cups of hot chocolate because they’re both sugar addicts, the school day done and dusted.

“He’s just unlike any other person I’ve ever met,” Luke says.

Ahsoka hums, sipping on her hot chocolate and nodding along while Luke rambles. She’s tall and elegant with stunning white and blue braids and the most amazing cheekbones Luke has ever seen. She speaks in a slow easy tone and has the patience of an angel. Luke can never remember a time seeing her lose her temper. Ever. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to talk to her about his problems. That and because she’s a horrible gossip but so is Luke so it’s okay.

“And I’m honestly so fascinated by him. I have no clue what he does for a living, but it means I get to see him in three-piece suits – and he looks _good_. As in, _really good_ , Ahsoka oh my god. And he can speak all these different languages and he’s so good with Grogu. You should see them together, it’s honestly the most heart-melting stuff I’ve ever seen.”

“Even more so than Marley and Me?” Ahsoka questions.

Luke nods enthusiastically, sipping on his hot chocolate. It leaves a foam moustache around his upper lip that has Ahsoka giggling.

“Well, he sounds very nice.”

“He is! He’s just –” Luke suddenly pauses, mug halfway to his lips. Ahsoka shifts where she’s seated cross-legged in a beanbag chair, eyebrows arching in question.

Luke puts his mug down, nearly spilling his beverage in his haste as he mutters, “Oh dear god I have a crush on my student’s parent.”

Ahsoka snorts, lips curling as she watches Luke have a mini break down over his just-now realization. “I think it’s more than just a crush.”

“This isn’t funny Ahsoka!” Luke cries. He runs shaking fingers through his hair, groaning as he falls back against the soft cushions of the couch he’s sprawled on.

“Oh no, not funny at all,” Ahsoka says in mock-seriousness.

“I can’t like a student’s parent, that’s so morally wrong!”

“Is it though?”

Luke parts his fingers from where he’d been covering his blushing face with his hands, glaring at a still-grinning Ahsoka. “Yes. It is.”

“I dunno. I mean, as long as you’re not using the fact his son’s your student to hurt him or blackmail him in any way, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.”

“I’d never do that!” Luke yells in protest, sitting up straight as a rod.

“Exactly,” Ahsoka agrees, smiling into her mug. “So why not ask him out and see where the wind takes you.”

“No,” Luke says, shaking his head vehemently. “There’s no way he’d be interested in me. Besides, I don’t know even know if he’s queer.”

Ahsoka snorts. “Honey, I’ve seen his friends. He’s definitely queer.”

Luke sighs but concedes. Even he can’t argue with that statement.

“Listen,” Ahsoka says. She straightens in her seat, mug clasped between bright orange fingernails. Her tone suggests nothing but utter seriousness. “From what I’ve seen and heard I think you guys could be a good match.”

“You do?”

“I do,” Ahsoka says, smiling serenely. “All you need is a chance to talk to him. Really talk, not just quick morning drop-off talk.”

Luke blows a raspberry, sinking down even lower in his seat. His head is practically laying on the seating cushion at this point, legs sprawled in front of him. He taps the toes of his red velvet loafers together as he pouts. “Yeah, 'cause that’s gonna happen.”

“You never know,” Ahsoka says. “Fate works in mysterious ways.”

A statement which Luke had never believed in until the fateful Friday afternoon where he gets a phone call from an unknown number.

He’d been giving his classroom one final sweep before he left for the day when he found a shiny silver ball hidden under the corner of his desk. It was the size of a large marble, hollow on the inside and cool to the touch. Luke was considering whether or not to throw it away or put it in the lost and found box when his phone began to ring.

He checks the number only to find it wasn’t anyone on his contacts list. He considers just letting his phone ring until the caller gives up but the thought that it might be something important niggles at his brain, so he finds himself answering the call, phone shoved between his shoulder and ear while he pockets the silver ball and starts gathering his things.

“Luke Skywalker.”

“Luke? It’s Din. Din Djarin.”

Luke falters, nearly dropping his phone in the process. “D-Din? Uh… How did you –”

“I’m sorry for calling unannounced, I got your number off the school’s website.”

“I-it’s fine,” Luke stammers, sitting back down at his desk when his knees suddenly decide to stop working. “What’s wrong, you sound a little nervous?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have found a silver ball in your classroom today?”

Luke’s fingers find the ball in his pants pocket, the coolness of the metal causing him to shiver slightly. “I just did, yeah.”

“Oh thank the stars,” Din murmurs. “It belongs to Grogu. It’s very special to him. He’s been distraught since he got home and realised it wasn’t in his bag anymore. We think he might have dropped it at some point during the day.”

“Oh, well, I don’t mind holding onto it for him until Monday.”

“That won’t work,” Din says, sounding apologetic. “It’s sort of his like his comfort toy. He’s had it since he was admitted to the orphanage.”

_Orphanage?_

“Are you still at the school?” Din asks, “I could come fetch it –”

“I can come and drop it off,” Luke says, cheeks heating because _what the heck, Skywalker. Did you really just – ?!_

“Would you? Cause that actually might be quicker and the sooner he gets it the better really.”

“Yeah, I don’t mind,” Luke assures him. His heart is racing a mile a minute while Din talks, saying he’ll text Luke his address and “thank you so much again, I really appreciate it.”

Which is how Luke finds himself outside number 22 Razor Crest Lane, staring up at an adorable two-story house with a bright blue door and the most beautiful front garden Luke’s ever seen. Luke dabbles a little in gardening himself, though he specializes more in aloes as they’re less fussy and they’re one of the few plants Artoo hasn’t attempted to eat or shove off the windowsill yet.

Luke puts his car into park, switching off the engine as he stares up at the house in awe. In the late afternoon sunshine, it looks almost as if it’s been dipped in gold. Luke steps out of his car, surprised to see a beat-up slate grey Chevy truck with faded orange stripes in the driveway. He’d expected maybe more along the lines of a Ferrari or a Mercedes with how nice Din’s suits were.

He’s only shaking a little bit as he climbs the short set of steps up to the front door.

“Alright, Skywalker. Take it easy. You’re just gonna drop off the toy, say ‘Have a nice weekend’ and leave. Simple as that.”

He can’t help but quickly give himself a once-over though before he knocks. He tousles his hair, fingers running along the small braid Winta gave him in some of the longer strands at the back. He’s wearing a candy floss pink sweater, light grey chinos and white ankle boots with a low heel. Thankfully there were no paint stains from craft time nor any left-over glitter in his hair that he can tell.

Releasing a deep breath, Luke knocks on the door and waits.

If he thought he was prepared for seeing a more casual Din he was sorely mistaken for what greeted him when the door was opened.

He didn’t know what he was expecting, Din always dropping Grogu off in nothing short of some very nice suits, often with fine silk waistcoats to boot, but Din in a soft, well-worn navy cable knit sweater and dark wash jeans whilst barefoot was not it.

Not that he’s complaining, because wow he looks so _soft_ and _gorgeous_ and _hot_ and – get it together Skywalker!

“Hey,” Din says awkwardly.

“Hi,” Luke squeaks.

They stand there, staring at one another a moment longer before Din gives his head a light shake and steps aside, saying “You can come in. If you want.”

“I do!” Luke says, wincing at his enthusiasm. He steps through the doorway, taking in the entrance hall while Din shuts the door.

Inviting is the first word Luke would use to describe Din’s home. The walls are a warm cream colour, the hard-word floors shiny and sleek. A few framed photos of Din and Grogu with their friends are hung sporadically along the walls. Just to his right are a coat rack and a place to store shoes. The entrance hall opens up to the left into what looks to be a lounge area, opposite that entrance is a staircase no doubt leading to the bedrooms upstairs.

“He’s just through here,” Din says, leading Luke towards the lounge entrance.

The space is wide open planning, a lounge, kitchen and dining area all melting into one another but still kept separate with their small groupings of furniture. The lounge consists of a large couch, a coffee table, a flatscreen TV and a well-worn rug. The kitchen is all marble countertops and shiny steel with a whole lot of kitchen appliances Luke can’t even name let alone fathom what they are used for littering the countertops. There’s also a floating island with three bar stools lining one side. To the left of the kitchen is the dining area which is surrounded by glass sliding doors that open up to the back porch and a sizable, well-kept garden.

It was simple, nothing fancy, but it screamed _home_ to Luke, more than any of the fancy apartments and hotel rooms he and his family had jumped between while his parents were off ruling Coruscant and making big decisions with important and rich people.

He hovers in the doorway, spotting Grogu who is sitting curled up on the couch, red-eyed from crying.

“Do you have it?”

“Huh?” Luke turns to see Din looking at him expectantly. “Oh!” Luke pats his pockets, unearthing the silver ball. “Right, sorry, here it is.”

Din plucks it from his fingers, murmuring a quiet “Thank you,” before approaching his son. He kneels down in front of the couch, fingers brushing through Grogu’s unruly mop of dark curls.

“Hey bud, look what Mr. Skywalker found.”

Grogu peeks out from the crook of his arms and gives a small excited squeak upon seeing the silver ball laying in Din’s palm.

He takes it, fingers running over the smooth, shiny metal, checking to make sure it’s not ruined in any way.

Din is smiling softly and Luke can’t stop his heart from feeling warm and fuzzy watching the scene before him.

“Say thank you to Mr. Skywalker for helping to find it,” Din reminds him gently.

Grogu looks up and finally spots Luke hovering awkwardly in the doorway. He lights up even brighter, jumping off the couch and running up to Luke. He slams into his teacher’s legs, giving them a tight hug before pulling back. He places a flat hand to his mouth, then lowers it so it arcs down, pointing towards Luke.

Luke, having started studying up a little knows this means thank you in ASL and smiles down at Grogu.

“How do you say you’re welcome?” Luke asks.

Grogu demonstrates, showing the same sign as Thank You. Luke kneels, ruffling his hair as he says while signing, “You’re more than welcome. I’m glad I could help.” Luke sneaks a peek at Din when he says this last part to find the man watching them both with an indecipherable expression on his face.

Luke’s attention is dragged back to Grogu when there’s a light tug on his sweater sleeve. He looks down, smiling at Grogu in question. The boy’s hands move in a flurry of shapes and signs that Luke can’t begin to fathom. He looks up at Din in question to find the man frowning slightly.

“What did he ask?”

Din clears his throat, scratching at his stubbled cheek as he avoids Luke’s gaze. “He’s, um, he’s asking if you’d like to stay for dinner.”

“Oh...” Luke breathes.

“Don’t feel like you have to say yes,” Din starts.

“No, I’d love to!” Luke stammers out. “If you’ll have me...”

_Oh my god just kill me now._

“Yes.”

Luke startles, watching as Din’s tanned cheeks turn a slightly dusty rose.

“That... that would be nice,” Din murmurs. He sounds a little hesitant, almost unsure, but then his bright brown gaze meets Luke’s and oh wow he really is gone.

Grogu looks between the two men with a satisfied grin before turning his attention back to his silver ball. He seems completely cheered up as he makes his way to the coffee table and digs through his bright green backpack to unearth a colouring book and a pack of colouring pencils. He flips to a half-finished page and Luke is rather surprised to see it’s one of those adult colouring books with the very intricate designs.

Grogu starts on a new swirl with a light pink that almost perfectly matches Luke’s sweater.

“Um,” Din says, capturing Luke’s attention once more. He’s starting to walk backwards towards the kitchen, thumb pointing over his shoulder. “I was just about to start dinner when the whole...” he waves a hand about, “ball thing happened. So I’m just –”

“Oh, of course, don’t worry. You do your thing,” Luke assures him.

With a nod and a slight smile, Din turns towards the stove. He starts to bring out some pots and pans along with some sharp-looking knives. He also pulls fresh ingredients from the fridge and spices from a rack in the top drawer.

Luke leans against the breakfast bar, watching with interest as Din makes himself busy.

“You know how to cook?” Luke asks as Din starts cutting up tomatoes.

“Sort of have to learn when you live on your own,” Din replies.

Luke winces, thinking of all the takeout boxes in his bin and the microwave meals waiting in his freezer. He was a little spoiled growing up, what with his family having a private chef and being able to afford plenty of trips to fancy restaurants. Plus Luke is just a terrible cook. College proved as much as Luke found himself surviving on nothing but stale pizza and instant ramen. Somehow he’s excellent with tea and coffee orders. He always gets the sugar to milk ratio for anyone’s order right on the first try, but don’t let him anywhere near a toaster. You _will_ regret it.

Luke is more than happy to watch Din at work, his hands moving deftly as he starts chopping up vegetables with the skill of a well-versed chef. However, Grogu grabs Luke’s attention by tugging on his hand, leading him back to the lounge area. He sits on the carpet, silver ball rolling between his fingers as he gestures for Luke to sit as well. Luke places his denim jacket and leather satchel to the side, making himself comfortable. Grogu then gestures to his array of coloured pencils and Luke realises he’s asking him to choose a colour for a new swirl in his colouring page. Luke suggests yellow and Grogu offers him the pencil, showing him where to colour in. Luke is more than happy to do so. Grogu’s colouring in is far neater than Luke’s, not that the child seems to mind. Luke still sneaks peeks at Din every once in a while. He even catches Din watching him too at one point.

Before Luke knows it Din’s announcing that supper’s ready. Grogu sets the table while Din places the pot of what appears to be some kind of soup down along with a plate of fresh home-baked bread. Luke notes as he sits down how big the dining table is; it could seat a comfortable twelve. Somehow, Luke can perfectly picture Din and Grogu with all their friends sharing a meal together seated at this very table.

Din serves the soup he made from where he’s sitting at the head of the table, Luke sending Grogu a smile and a secret wink that earns a silent giggle from the child who sits across from him. Luke lifts the bread plate, offering first to Grogu who takes it with a thank you gesture. Din’s just put away the ladle when Luke offers the plate to him next. Din takes it with a small shy smile and a quiet “Thanks.”

Luke’s about to pick up a spoon when he sees how Grogu and Din are eating using no utensils but by solely dipping the bread into their soup. Luke follows suit, enjoying the lovely smell of fresh tomato and chives, before taking a bite. Spices erupt along his tongue and he has to hold back a cough because wow, this really packs a punch and Luke was maybe a little too white to handle this much spice.

Din seems to notice Luke’s discomfort and asks if he’s alright.

Luke nods, chuckling ruefully as the spices continue to bubble and sizzle on his tongue. “Sorry, I’ve got the weakest pallet known to mankind.”

Din hurries back to the kitchen where he gets Luke a glass of water.

“I’m sorry, we’re all rather used to the spices. I forget not everyone has a tolerance for it.”

“It’s fine,” Luke assures him, taking greedy gulps of water. “What is this, by the way?”

“Pebre and Pan Amasado,” Din answers, settling back in his seat. The Spanish rolls off his tongue with ease and brings a slight shiver down Luke’s spine. “Pebre is a hot chilli pepper sauce which is why it has a bit of a kick.”

“A bit is an understatement,” Luke jokes.

“My Mama made it often. I practically grew up on the stuff,” Din remarks lightly.

“So is cooking a big part of your family?” Luke asks.

Din scrubs the back of his neck, humming in thought. “I dunno. My Mama used to love cooking and, well, I guess I sort of started picking up recipes to maybe be closer to her. Same with the gardening,” Din says, eyes darting to the sliding doors next to them that leads to a lovely back garden cast in deep bronze hues thanks to the setting sun.

“Papa kept the most beautiful flowers,” Din murmurs to himself as if Luke isn’t even there. He seems lost in thought a moment before he rolls back his shoulders with a light sigh. He picks up another piece of bread and dips it in his pebre. “Besides that, most of my family are terrible cooks. At least one of us has to be able to make something edible for our weekly dinners.”

So Luke guessed right in that Din and his friends often ate together at this table. It brings a small, please smile to Luke’s lips as he lowers his now-empty water glass. He’s about to ask another question when he freezes. He watches, a little dumbfounded and very much distracted as Din pushes the sleeves of his sweater up to reveal thick black geometric line tattoos covering both forearms.

“Th-those are pretty,” Luke stammers.

Din tilts his head in question then follows Luke’s line of sight to his forearms.

“Oh... uh, yeah. Sort of got them during a bit of a rebellious stage in my teens. It’s partly why I wear full suits when meeting clients. Tattoos aren’t always seen as professional.”

“What is it that you actually do?” Luke asks. He takes another bite of soup, this time a little more prepared for the rush of spices.

“I own a security company,” Din explains, “It’s still fairly new but we’ve managed to garner a pretty good collection of A-list clients so we’ve been doing pretty okay for ourselves.”

Luke chuckles to himself. Coruscant is filled with nothing but A-listers. It isn’t referred to as the Golden City for nothing.

“Do you still do security work or?”

Din shakes his head. “No, I’m mostly stuck doing admin these days. Meeting the clients, organizing stuff with the staff, that sort of thing. I wanted to be able to spend more time with Grogu.” At this Din sends his son a smile, ruffling Grogu’s hair. Grogu smiles back. He’s scoffing down his soup without so much as a flinch. Obviously, he’s grown used to Din’s spicy cooking.

“Besides,” Din continues, “the girls can handle themselves on the job just fine. They don’t need me there.”

This piques Luke’s interest. “Are all your employees women?”

Din nods. “It’s what makes us special I suppose. Work environments for women are never the same as they are for men. I could see that in my old place of work. They weren’t treated with the right respect and their pay was less than the male guards for no other reason than because they weren’t men. I wanted to change that and the best way to do it was to make my own company. So, my friends and I left our old firm and started Mandalore Security.”

“Wow...” Luke is rather impressed. Not only was Din aware enough to see an injustice that didn’t affect himself but he was also willing to actually go out and do something about it to make a change for the better.

“Most of our clients are women as well. They feel safer when they’re being protected by someone who understands their struggles and fears. Plus, female bodyguards don’t stand out as easily as the stereotypical macho guys in sunglasses and all-black,” Din continues.

Luke nods along, highly captivated. This is probably the most he’s ever heard Din speak, and so freely as well. He could tell Din was passionate about this, that he cared for his employees and the work they did.

“We’re in such high demand recently that I’m having to hire more staff. It’s...” Din chuckles weakly, fingers pulling at his curls. “It’s a little surreal.”

“But exciting,” Luke prompts.

Din huffs a quiet laugh. “Yeah, I guess. I just – I don’t want to let any of them down.”

“You won’t,” Luke assures him. “I can tell you really care for your people. That’s an important aspect of being an employer that many neglect.”

Luke can’t help but think of his own father when saying this, his tone turning a little bitter.

Din notices if the slight arch of his brow is any indication, but he doesn’t ask for Luke to elaborate. Instead, he asks, “What about you?”

Luke hums in question.

“Why teaching? What drew you to it?” Din asks.

“Oh... uh... that’s a long story,” Luke warns him.

Din shrugs, leaning back in his chair. “We have time.”

Luke puffs a bit of air, blowing his fringe out of his eyes. “That we do,” he says, watching Grogu serve himself a second bowl already.

Luke thinks about where to start. He doesn’t really want to give too much away about his family. Din seems sweet but Luke’s seen how quickly people change when they know who he’s connected with and a small part of him is afraid Din might change too. So, he goes for the generalized route, skipping out on the finer details and leaving out names.

“My parents were very particular about what jobs they wanted my sister and I to get into. Teaching was definitely not on the list,” Luke says. “My dad thinks highly of the military and did quite a lot of work with the airforce when he was younger. He was the ace pilot of his generation. And me being newly graduated from high school and desperately wanting to seek his approval, I decided to follow in his footsteps. Turns out I wasn’t too shabby myself. That is until my plane got hit.”

Luke swallows thickly, the feeling of helplessness threatening to overspill again as the memories bubble inside him. “I managed to land but it was a pretty close call. I did end up losing my hand in the accident, though.”

Din frowns, eyes flicking to Luke’s seemingly ordinary hands.

Luke chuckles at Din’s confusion. He pushes his right sweater sleeve up, undoing the cuff of his shirt to roll it up and reveal the defined line between where his arm ends and the prosthetic begins near his wrist.

Grogu pauses, interest also piqued by the strange machinery that was Luke’s right hand. The skin was a near-perfect match to his golden skin tone, the fingers moving fluidly, almost naturally as he wiggles them in demonstration.

“My dad managed to pull some strings, got me the best of the best. It’s connected to my nerves system and has near-perfect motor-function. I was assured that I’d be able to fly again once I got comfortable using it. However, I refused.”

“You didn’t want to fly again?” Din asks gently.

Luke shakes his head, a sad smile pulling at his lips. “No, I loved flying. I just hated flying for the military. I don’t like what they stand for, what they represent. There’s too much hate and bloodshed. It was never for me. However, it took me losing my hand to finally bite the bullet and admit to my father that I couldn’t be what he wanted me to be.

“So I left the airforce, I moved out and I went to college not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life. If it wasn’t for my Uncle Ben I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Luke’s sadness dissipates slightly at the mention of his uncle. Ben Kenobi was like a second father to him growing up. He was a kind, gentle man with warm hazel eyes and a quick wit to match. He and Anakin, Luke’s father, had been childhood friends growing up. However, they started losing touch when Anakin became obsessed with power and money and success. Ben and Anakin were estranged by the time Luke and Leia had finished high school, but Luke always kept in touch with his uncle. He’s the one he went to when he left home with no real plan or idea of what he wanted to do.

“He’s the one who got me the job at the school. And I honestly couldn’t be happier,” Luke finishes, smiling fondly. “I love working with the kids, I love helping them. Seeing them grow is such fulfilling work. It’s the only other time I feel as happy as when I was flying.”

“That’s good,” Din whispers. “It’s good that you’re happy.”

Luke chuckles, swirling his spoon in his soup. “I still keep in touch with my family. My sister and I are very close and my mother’s just happy I’m happy. It’s my dad that’s the problem really. He’s... he’s not the man I thought he was, growing up. I put him on this pedestal: this dirt poor boy for the Tatooine farming district who managed to make it big in Coruscant, who met the love of his life and made life seemingly better for everyone around him. But then I saw the real him, the man behind the smiling mask and I couldn’t unsee it.”

Releasing a shaky sigh, Luke rolls his sleeve back down, buttoning up the cuff and pulling his sweater back into place.

“Anyway, that’s the very abridged version. If I had to go into all the details you’d think you were watching some big-budget drama film or something.” Luke chuckles weakly. “But life happens and people change. They’re not always the person you thought they were and in the end, all you can do is accept it and move on.”

Luke meets Din’s gaze, waiting to see his reaction. Din has nothing but complete understanding in those deep brown eyes of his.

“I... I know exactly what you mean,” Din murmurs. His hands are clasped tightly together in front of him on the table, a faraway look in his eyes.

Luke believes him without a doubt, can tell that whoever hurt Din, they left their fair amount of scars.

Luke desperately wants to reach out, to take Din’s hand in his and tell him it’ll be okay, that Luke’s managed to move past the ordeal with his father mostly and Din can too. That his happiness won’t be gone forever. But he’s a coward so he says nothing, just offers Din an easy smile and finishes his soup.

After that the conversation quickly turns to options for dessert – Grogu suggests choc chip cookies dipped in milk and at Din’s questioning look Luke says that sounds like heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Din's tattoos are based off [this amazing fanart](https://qedart.tumblr.com/post/641814158528102400/ive-been-fleshing-out-the-modern-mando-au-thats) by qedart on Tumblr
> 
> Spanish Translation:
> 
> Te quiero. Te veré más tarde - I love you. I will see you later
> 
> A veces, mierda - Sometimes shit
> 
> ¿Dónde está tu bolso? - Where is your bag?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is amazing!” Cara cries.
> 
> “No this is not amazing,” Din corrects her, jabbing his knife into his steak cutlet. “This is bad. Very bad.” 
> 
> Grogu frowns, hands moving about in question. 
> 
> Din sighs. “No, kiddo, Lu- I mean Mr. Skywalker hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s very pretty – I mean nice, agh!” 
> 
> Din groans, hiding his face in his hands. “ _Meirda_.” 
> 
> Grogu tilts his head, looking between a smirking Cara and a distraught Din with confusion. 
> 
> “Even the kid can tell you’re a goner,” Cara crows.

Luke arrives back at his apartment feeling like he’s walking on clouds. After dinner he, Grogu and Din sat on the couch and watched a few episodes of one of Grogu’s favourite TV shows. Din and Luke sipped on cups of tea, dunking rainbow choc chip cookies in their cups while Grogu watched the screen avidly, pointing out his favourite characters to Luke. It was some kind of cartoon tv series set in space with a lot of colourful characters from what Luke had gathered. Grogu sat between them on the couch, Din chuckling occasionally at some of the jokes more oriented for adults. His arm was slung over the back of the couch and if he shifted it just slightly it could have so easily draped over Luke’s shoulders. But he didn’t, because Din was a gentleman and a friend – maybe, kind of, sort of?

Either way, it was nice and cozy and Luke felt safe and just so _warm_ during it all. Once Grogu was conked out between them, Din had shut off the TV. It was late, much later than Luke had expected to stay for. So, he’d gathered his things and Din walked him to the door. They stood together outside on the front porch, the cool evening air ruffling Luke’s hair as it swept by. Din had thanked him profusely for dropping off Grogu’s ball and going along with everything.

“It’s my pleasure and don’t worry, I wanted to,” Luke assured him. “Besides, your cooking is really delicious. I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal.”

Din had baulked at this. “You don’t cook?”

Luke snorted, “Oh god no. I’d just end up giving myself food poisoning or worse, burning my apartment down.”

Din had winced at this last part and Luke worried he’d said something wrong when Din suddenly said, “If you ever – uh.” He cleared his throat, avoiding Luke’s gaze as he murmured. “If you ever get sick of microwave meals, let me know and you can... join us... for dinner. If you’d like to.”

Luke had to reel in the little voice that demanded he say yes immediately and risk looking extremely desperate, instead saying, “I – I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You wouldn’t be,” Din rushed to assure him. “I like cooking. And honestly, Grogu’s probably a little bit in love with you. I’m sure he wouldn’t argue to having you over again.”

Luke could feel his cheeks blushing, head light and cotton-stuffed, his heart racing.

In a slightly more flirtatious tone than he’d ever care to admit he’d replied, “Well then, I might just have to take you up on that offer.”

“Good,” Din said, lips ticking up in the corner. “That’s... good.”

“Yeah...” Luke agreed, unable to bite back his no-doubt goofy grin. He hated the idea of leaving but it really was getting late and he had a half-hour drive to get through. So, with great reluctance, he’d dug out his car keys and said, “I better get going.”

“Right, yeah,” Din said, nodding along though Luke swore he could hear the faintest bit of disappointment in Din’s voice.

“I’ll see on Monday,” Luke said, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

Din’s eyes followed the movement before he matched Luke’s gaze. “Yes, right. Monday.”

Luke kept grinning. “Monday.” He walked backwards towards his car, unwilling to break the staring match they seemed to be trapped in. Din really did have the most lovely brown eyes. So rich and warm and inviting.

Din had waved to him from his porch as Luke drove away, growing smaller and smaller until Luke could no longer see his friendly blue door in his rear-view mirror.

Luke sighs now at the memory, kicking off his shoes and calling out for Artoo. His cat was no doubt a little pissed off with Luke for missing his usual feeding time. He’d make it up to him with some fresh tuna as a treat.

That’s when Luke steps into his endarkened lounge to spot a figure in his reading chair.

Luke startles, raising his hands, ready for a fight when he squints against the darkness and huffs.

“Leia, what are you doing here?”

Leia flicks on the reading lamp at her elbow, revealing herself with Artoo sitting perched in her lap, purring like a lawnmower as she idly strokes him.

“Glad you could finally join us.”

Luke frowns. “What do you – _oh no.”_

“Oh yes.”

“I forgot about our –”

“Dinner plans, yes. I brought your favourite, though I ate it all seeing as you were too occupied to even look at your phone,” Leia says. Her tone is light but her eyes warn him that he is very much in deep shit.

Luke winces, fishing his phone out of his pocket and yep, there are multiple missed calls and messages from Leia.

“Leia, I’m so sorry, a work situation came up and –”

“And caused you to come home well past ten o’clock on a Friday night and enter your apartment sighing like some pre-schooler with a crush?” Leia finishes for him. Amusement tinges her voice but her eyes are still hard, gaze piercing as she tries to get a read on her brother.

She picks up the half-empty glass of wine resting at her elbow, sipping on it daintily while Luke stands, fidgeting. He’s trying to come up with an excuse but Leia knows him too well, knows all his little ticks and tells. There was no point in lying.

“So I might have been at Din’s for dinner,” Luke started.

Leia stills, lowering her glass slightly. It’s marred by a bright red lipstick stain. “Din? As in Din Djarin, the parent of the kid who you adore and the person you totally have had a crush on since day one but refused to admit it? That Din?”

Luke releases a frustrated huff, crossing his arms as he avoids his sister’s gaze. “Maybe...”

Leia’s lips tug into a sly smile. She _thunks_ her glass down hard on the side table, startling Artoo who springs out of her lap with a plaintive meow. He trots up to Luke, curling about his ankles and meowing up at him in question. No doubt asking where his dinner is. Luke leans down, picking his cat up into his arms and scratching him under the chin.

“I want all the details,” Leia demands. She indicates the small loveseat opposite her. Luke holds up a finger in a one moment gesture, going to his small kitchenette to arrange Artoo’s dinner for him before finally settling down and subjugating himself to his sister’s nosiness.

She leans forward in her seat, shoes kicked off to one side with her legs crossed underneath her, wine glass in hand. “Now, from the beginning,” she says.

Luke sighs but does as told, explaining the situation with Grogu losing his toy and Din phoning him sounding so anxious. The dinner, the talk about his hand and their father.

“Wait wait wait, you talked about father?”

Luke shrugs. “I didn’t mention him by name. Just said he had ties to the air force, wanted me to follow in his footsteps blah blah blah.” Luke waves a hand about in a lazy throw-away gesture.

Leia nods, satisfied. “Right, and then?”

Luke shrugs again. “Then we had dessert, watched some TV. Grogu fell asleep and I left. Simple as that.”

“No, no,” Leia says, wagging her finger sternly. “It’s never as simple as that.”

Luke bites his bottom lip, unable to hold back his small, pleased grin. “He may have said I can come over for dinner again if I ever wanted to.”

Leia pumps a fist in the air. “Yes! Oh, he _so_ likes you.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Leia,” Luke warns. “He was just being nice. I told him about my epic failings as a cook and how I practically live on takeaways and microwave meals.”

“Which is going to catch up with you soon,” Leia said, poking Luke’s stomach with her toe. “Your metabolism isn’t going to be your friend forever.”

Luke gasps, mock-affronted. “Rude!”

“So, to summarize,” Leia says, starting to count off everything on her fingers. “The shy sweet single dad with the adorable kid invited you to stay for dinner which he cooked from scratch, you two had a rather heartfelt talk about your jobs and passions, he served dessert, you two almost-cuddle on the couch and then he said you’re more than welcome to come over again whenever you feel like it for even more amazing free food. Have I got it all?”

“Did I mention the tattoos?”

“HE HAS TATTOOS?!”

*

Meanwhile, Din is putting a sleeping Grogu to bed, making sure his silver ball is safe on his bedside table where he can easily find it when he wakes up.

He didn’t have much to clean up, Luke offering to help do the dishes once they were getting ready to move to the lounge to watch some TV after supper.

It felt so... right. Seeing him here in Din’s home, interacting with Grogu, chatting with Din, making Din _laugh_ of all things. More than once.

It was so surreal that someone he’d only met two months ago could so easily slip into their lives like this and feel like he’d always been there.

Din shakes his head, banishing the thought. That was dangerous thinking. _Very_ dangerous.

 _I’m not looking for a relationship_ , Din reminds himself as he enters his bedroom. He strips off his sweater and jeans, changing into something more comfortable to sleep in. Thoughts of Luke keep swirling around him, however, refusing to leave him alone. Luke leaning causally on the breakfast bar, watching with interest as Din moves about easily in the kitchen. Luke sitting at the coffee table colouring in with Grogu, blue eyes looking up at Din through his thick, fair lashes. Luke sitting with them for dinner, glugging down water because his pallet isn’t used to Din’s usual spices. Luke on the couch watching TV, Grogu between them, Din’s arm just bare inches away from slipping snugly around his shoulders. Luke smiling at him on the front porch, moonlight bathing him in its pale light and making his golden head of hair glow, blue eyes bright and so entrancing.

Din groans, flopping face-first onto his bed.

_This is not good. This is very, not good._

*

“This is amazing!” Cara cries the next day during lunch.

She’d come over uninvited as per their usual Saturday routine if she wasn’t on the job, telling Din to “put on something sexy cause we’re going for lunch.”

Din knew lunch would be at their usual diner near the outskirts of town so he instead chose some well-worn jeans and a black v-neck shirt along with his leather jacket.

Cara had given him an exaggerated wolf whistle and a wink before hoisting Grogu up onto her shoulders and leading them to her car.

Which is how Din found himself telling Cara about dinner the night before with Luke. She’d kept prodding and there was no way Din could dodge her questions. Once Cara was interested in something, she refuses to let go. She’s like a puppy with their favourite toy, unwilling to drop it no matter what.

“No this is not amazing,” Din corrects her, jabbing his knife into his steak cutlet. “This is bad. Very bad.”

Grogu frowns, hands moving about in question.

Din sighs. “No, kiddo, Lu- I mean Mr. Skywalker hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s very pretty – I mean nice, agh!”

Din groans, hiding his face in his hands. “ _Meirda_.”

Grogu tilts his head, looking between a smirking Cara and a distraught Din with confusion.

“Even the kid can tell you’re a goner,” Cara crows, stealing two of Din’s fries even though she still has a full plate of her own.

“I didn’t ask for this, Cara,” Din growls.

“Love doesn’t come when you ask it to,” Cara replies. “It always runs on its own schedule.”

Din slams his knife into his steak, pointing an accusing finger in Cara’s face. “No one said anything about love,” he spits out.

“You didn’t have to,” Cara quips. She slurps up the last of her Cola noisily through her straw, knowing the sound would irritate him.

Din is silently fuming in his seat because what would Cara know about all of this. Unless…

“You’re still seeing that hot date of yours, aren’t you?”

Cara freezes a moment before plonking her glass down, suddenly finding her plate of chips absolutely _fascinating_.

“So, what if I am?”

Din scoffs. “You like her.”

“Well of course I like her, why else would I see her?” Cara argues.

“No, no. I mean you’ve caught feelings for this girl,” Din said, grinning genuinely for the first time today at Cara’s obvious discomfort. “You _really_ like her.”

Cara slams a fist against the table, glaring Din down. “So what if I do! She’s – she’s something else, Din. I can’t even describe it. She’s just so –”

“Perfect?” Din supplies.

“Yes and no,” Cara says. “Like, no one’s perfect, I know this. But I’m starting to like even her little imperfections. Like things that would usually irritate me just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and – stop laughing, Djarin! I’m being heartfelt here!”

Din can’t help it. He’s never seen Cara like this before. Cara, the player. Cara, who manages to go bar hopping every weekend and never comes home without at least ten new numbers on her phone or scribbled across her hand. Cara who had sworn off relationships long before she and Din had even met.

And now look at her, gushing about this woman who’s managed to capture her heart. Even the mighty Cara has fallen prey to the love bug, it seems.

“So, why’s she so special?” Din asks, managing to reel in his laughter. “What made you change your mind about relationships?”

“I dunno really,” Cara murmurs. “She just… She’s special. She gets me like no one else, except maybe you. Which is saying something.”

Din nods with a hum. He and Cara did get each other. They’d known each other nearly ten years by now. They were practically brother and sister at this point.

Like Din, Cara didn’t have any family left. She was hurting still when Din first met her at Moff Gideon’s security company, the two of them being put on an assignment together to follow around some visiting A-lister while they went shopping in the boutique district. Their client tried on the most ridiculous outfits; the cheapest item costing no less than six zeroes. They’d spent the day making fun of the client behind their back and only once they were driving back to the company, job done did Cara admit that was the first time she’d genuinely laughed in months. Cara was rough around the edges, sure, but she was loyal to a fault. Her company was hard-earned but well worth the work. This conversation here ten years later is living proof, Cara blushing of all things as she gabs on about this special someone.

“I’m happy for you,” Din says softly.

Cara pauses, sending Din a thankful smile. “Thanks, Mando. I’m gonna be happy for you too once you bag yourself that pretty teacher of yours.”

Din rolls his eyes, kicking Cara lightly under the table and getting a sharp kick to the shin for his troubles.

So, the usual for a Saturday lunch, then.

*

Luke starts joining them for dinner almost once a week. It’s never planned per se, sometimes it’s simply because Din made too much and doesn’t want it to go to waste, other times it’s because Grogu insists. Either way, Luke always says yes and every evening he spends with them is filled with smiles and laughter. Din starts learning what Luke likes and doesn’t like and tries to accommodate for him when he can – like how he has a weakness for anything to do with pasta and cheese and isn’t actually that big on red meat. He’s still terrible when it comes to heavy spices, but he tries to soldier through them with a glass of milk as his aide.

Din also, thanks to Cara’s pushing and prodding, starts interviewing some new potential employees. Almost all of the ladies Greef recommends make it through along with a few others who appear with top tier recommendations and past experience.

It makes planning for Leia’s big event a little easier as Din has more ladies he can delegate areas too. Everything seems to be going perfectly according to plan and before he knows it the day of the party is upon him. So of course, Koska ends up getting sick.

She arrives at work that morning snotty-nosed and eyes drooping. She’s swaying on her feet and looks about two seconds away from emptying her stomach out in the nearest pot plant.

“You are going straight home,” Din orders.

“Djarin, don’t fuck with me, I can do this,” Koska says, although her nose is so blocked, he struggles to understand what she’s saying at first.

Din shakes his head. “Either you get back in your car and drive yourself home or I’ll have Bo-Katan carry you out bridal style. Your choice.”

Koska eyes Bo-Katan as if she’s actually considering it before rolling her eyes with a huff and a grumbled, “Fine. I’m so–”

“No need to apologize. Just take care of yourself this weekend,” Din says.

If Din didn’t know her so well, he would have missed the slight tilt to her lips. “I hate that you’re a good boss sometimes.”

Din simply shrugs, pointing to the exit. Koska waves him off. “Alright, alright, I’m going.”

It’s only once Koska’s left that Bo-Katan approaches him. “So, who’s taking her place at the party tonight?”

Din pinches the bridge of his nose, already trying to re-arrange logistics in his head. Over the last couple of weeks, they’ve managed to hire a good twenty new employees and whilst they were all capable women none of them has been to the debriefing meetings that’s been going on for months since Leia hired them for the job.

Bo-Katan must come to the same realization as him, a single red brow arching as she mutters, “Oh dear.”

“Oh dear indeed,” Din mutters.

Bo-Katan claps him on the shoulder before heading back to her desk, calling out, “See you tonight, Djarin.”

Din was really looking forward to a Friday night in with just him and Grogu eating out of the ice cream carton with two spoons and watching his favourite cartoons, but it looks like those plans would have to be put on hold.

Din already has his phone out and dialling before he’s even closed his office door.

“Peli? I’m sorry this is late notice, but would you be able to take Grogu for the evening?”

*

Din has no cooking clue what to wear.

He has an array of nice suits that Cara and Bo-Katan have helped him cultivate over the years to meet the standards of their A-list clients however this is perhaps one of the biggest events he’s ever had to work security for and let’s just say that fashion is not his forte.

He considers messaging Luke a minimal of five times for advice, each time chickening out before he can so much as type a “Hi.”  
They’ve been chatting a little here and there since the first time Luke came over for dinner. Nothing major, just asking how the other’s doing, is Grogu behaving at school, I’ve made too many empanadas want to come over for dinner?  
You know, casual stuff.  
But Din worries sending pictures of himself in different suits and asking which one Luke likes is a step towards _something else_. What that something else entails, he doesn’t quite know but he does know he’s scared of it so he hides his phone under his pillow so he doesn’t keep reaching for it every five seconds.  
He ends going with his usual grey form-fitting suit with a black turtleneck underneath and his one nice pair of black leather shoes which he polishes. It was fancy enough to suit the occasion but still casual, so he didn’t look too conspicuously like Mr. Bubbles from Lilo and Stitch.

“Well, well, don’t you look fancy,” Peli jeers as he comes down the stairs.

Grogu’s jaw drops upon seeing his father, hands waving about in praise.

Din chuckles, gathering his keys and helmet. “Thanks, kiddo.”

He does a quick a check – wallet, earpiece, keys, phone. Once he’s sure he’s got everything he starts for the door.

“He’s gonna try to convince you to let him stay up to wait for me. Don’t let him,” Din warns Peli.

“Pah, I’m sure I can handle the little womp rat for one evening. Ain’t that right bud?” Peli says, asking Grogu who’s settled comfortably on her hip.

Grogu grins that mischievous grin of his that says he’s going to get exactly what he wants and he knows it.

Din sighs. He secures his helmet on his head. “I’ll be home late. As in three am at least. Oh, if he –”

“Din, I know,” Peli says. “This ain’t my first rodeo.”

“I just – it’s been a while since I’ve had to be away on the job.”

“I know. But you’ll be fine and so will we.”

Din nods, relenting. “Right. Right… Okay. I’m off.”

Grogu and Peli wave him off from the front porch as he kick starts his engine to life. With a quick wave of his own, he’s off, heading first into the city proper and then towards the upper-class district on the outskirts.

The party is taking place at Leia’s estate. Din signs in with the security at the front gate, showing them his ID card. They let him through no problem, Din riding his motorbike idly down the short brick road framed by towering, perfectly trimmed trees. The road soon opens up to a small cul de sac with only one house – or, one could argue, mansion – on it, a fountain in the center trickling with crystal clear water. There are a few cars here already, most Din recognizes. His employees are waiting for him together in a small group by the entrance.

Cara gives him a wolf whistle as he switches his engine off, tugging off his helmet and giving his curls a quick comb through with his fingers.

All of the ladies are dressed to the nines whilst still being practical which means suits with low-buttoned blouses and heels that could easily stab anyone who gets on their bad side.

“You’re gonna make them drop like flies,” Cara jeers as he approaches them. She’s dressed in a deep maroon suit with strappy black heels and a golden body chain over a black halter top.

“Please try not to embarrass me tonight, Dune,” Din grumbles. He takes point, the ladies following him through the entrance where two waiters stand on either side of the double doors. They bow in welcome.

The estate was gorgeous inside. All white Italian marble and shiny silver surfaces. There is a grand white panelled staircase in the entry hall that leads up to the second floor with gold-trimmed bannisters and a red carpet to boot. There’s even a crystal chandelier dangling above their heads that looks too much like a safety hazard for Din’s liking. To the right, the entry hall opens up into the main lounge area where the party will be held, tables laid out with an abundance of food waiting to be picked at and just past that through some sliding doors is a lustrous garden that seems to go on for miles. Fairy lights and lanterns have been strung up, adding a warm glow to the cool evening blues.

“Ah good, you’re right on time.”

Everyone’s heads swivel up to the top of the staircase where Leia is smiling down at them. She seems a little flustered, her hair half-finished with odd strands flying out of the braids that have been left loose. She’s barefoot and yet still manages to look dazzling as she descends the stairs, her flowing white gown billowing behind her. It has golden detailing around the neckline and waist that look like small feathers have been dipped in gold and layered atop one another artfully.

“Hello everyone,” she greets as she glides down the stairs. Cara’s jaw drops to the floor. Din places a finger under her chin, closing it for her.

“It’s lovely to meet you all,” Leia continues before her eyes settle on Din. “Mr. Djarin, I didn’t know you’d be joining us as well?”

“One of the guards for tonight got ill, I’ll be filling in if that’s alright?”

Leia nods. “That’s fine. I trust you,” this last part elicits a secretive smile that Din can’t decipher. “The guests are due to start arriving in the next half hour or so. My parents will no doubt be fashionably late and the chances of my brother joining us are fifty-fifty. I’d show you around but I’m sure you’ve all seen the blueprints?”

The ladies all nod. Cara opens her mouth, no doubt about to try a very inappropriate line on Leia. Din stops her by jabbing her in the ribs with his elbow.

“Right, well, I’ll keep you no longer,” Leia says. The ladies disperse out across the different rooms, taking up their designated areas for the evening. Cara, still rubbing her bruised ribs, goes so far as to give Leia a quick wink before she disappears out into the garden, barely dodging the second elbow jab Din was aiming at her.

“If there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask,” Leia says, already halfway back up the stairs. “I’ll be down here again to start welcoming the guests soon.”

Din hums non-committedly, Leia disappearing up the stairs and down a corridor, no doubt to put the finishing touches on her outfit and hair.

Din does a quick perimeter check whilst checking in with each of the ladies through their comms link. Most of them are paired in twos, talking idly to one another like they’re early guests striking up a conversation so as not to feel awkward.

Soon enough, the real guests start pouring in. Everyone’s dressed up in too many layers of feathers and fur, men and women alike caked with makeup and dripping with expensive jewellery. Music has started playing from speakers that have been well-hidden, the sort of jazz you hear in coffee shops that you can tap your feet to but still be able to carry a conversation over.

An hour in and there’s still no sign of the couple the party is dedicated too. As if summoned, Din hears a round of applause start to echo from the entry hall and trickle into the lounge. The crowd parts and there is Anakin and Padmé Naberrie. They make for a very picturesque couple – Anakin in all-black with a cape to top it off and Padmé in a glittering silver gown. Anakin is objectively handsome, with his golden hair worn long and a thin scar cutting through his right eyebrow. There’s something familiar about him that Din can’t quite put his finger on.

Padmé’s eyes are a warm chocolate brown, her dark hair put up in intricate braids with pearl clasps. She is petite but holds herself like royalty, men and women bowing and curtseying as she passes by. She was technically a princess turned politician, so it made sense. Anakin was also heavily involved in politics, what all he did Din didn’t exactly know. What he did know was that he was considered a saint amongst his peers and a very charming young man who could get just about anything done that he put his mind too.

Din watches as they start to make their rounds, Padmé on Anakin’s arm as they chat up important friends and figureheads alike.

However, Din notices someone hovering about them just a few paces away. He frowns, starting towards the figure to check and see if they might be a potential threat when his shoulder rams into someone else. He starts to apologize when he freezes upon seeing who it is.

It’s Luke in a midnight black suit, white flower branches decorating his jacket and pants, black button-down shirt buttoned all the way to the top. His black leather boots have a small heel which gives him a bit of added height that puts him nearly eye to eye with Din as they gape at one another.

“What are you –”

“How did you get –”

Din raises his hands, stopping Luke to speak first. “I’m running security for this event.”

“What a weird coincidence,” Luke grits out sounding like he doesn’t believe that for a second.

“What are you doing here?” Din asks. “No offense but this doesn’t really seem like your kind of crowd.”

“It’s not,” Luke assures. “But I made an exception at my mother’s request.”

Din frowns. “Your mother?”

“Son! I didn’t know you were coming.”

A black-gloved hand claps Luke on the shoulder and its none other than Anakin Naberrie. He sidles up almost uncomfortably close to Luke, smiling down at him serenely and oh. That’s why Anakin looks so familiar.

With Luke and Anakin side by side Din can now see the resemblance. It’s almost uncanny: same golden waves, same sky-blue eyes and thin pink lips. Luke must have gotten his height from his mother, however, as Anakin seems to tower over him. Or perhaps that’s just his overwhelming yet subtle looming presence.

Anakin eyes Din, smile still in place. It looks hollow and empty. “And who is this?”

Din and Luke share a look, Luke starting to say, “He’s my student’s –”

“I’m part of the security team,” Din says, voice pitched low so only Anakin and Luke can hear. “Your daughter Leia hired me.”

Anakin hums, looking about. “Well, you blend in rather well with the crowd. I’m impressed.”

“It’s part of the job.”

“And what a noble profession too, protecting your people from harm.”

“Father…” Luke mutters, already knowing where this was going.

“I am just saying that to serve one’s country and people by any means, whether it be ensuring the safety of Coruscant’s most important citizens or say working up through the ranks of the military, is quite frankly the best foot forward.”

Din bites back the remark begging to be said, how there is no “most important”. Every citizen is important, whether they be a politician or a garbage collector.

So, imagine his surprise when Luke pipes up, saying, “There are certainly important citizens in Coruscant though I don’t see any of them here.”

Anakin’s smile dips, blue eyes turning icy. His grip on Luke’s shoulder tightens and Din notices Luke’s attempt not to flinch.

“I don’t know what you could possibly mean by that,” Anakin says, voice firm, unwavering.

Luke releases a humourless bark of laughter. “Oh, you do Father. And the only reason you’re mad is because you know I’m right.”

There’s electricity in the air. Din can feel the tension rising as Luke and Anakin stare each other down. He’s trying to figure out how to break them apart without drawing too much attention to them when Leia appears, a vision in white and gold.

“Father, Mother’s needing your help in talking down Admiral Sanda from causing nuclear warfare. Again.”

In an instant, all of Anakin’s anger is wrapped up with a neat little bow, and the serene smile has returned.

“That sounds very important. You’ll have to excuse me. Lovely chatting to you Din.”

Din simply nods. He wouldn’t mean it if he said “Likewise” and he doesn’t like saying things he doesn’t mean.

Anakin then turns his gaze to Luke, eyes narrowing slightly as he says, “We’ll put a pin in this conversation.”

“Can’t wait,” Luke replies, all false chipper and sarcasm.

With a swish of his cape, Anakin is gone, melding back into the crowd of party-goers.

Luke waits a moment longer to ensure his father is well and truly out of sight before lightly slapping Leia on the bicep.

“Why didn’t you tell me you knew Din?!”

Leia clucks her tongue, slapping Luke back. “I didn’t know this Din was also your Din!”

Luke’s eyes narrow into slits. “I know you’re lying.”

Din tries not to think too hard about the effect hearing _your Din_ was having on him.

“If it’s any consolation, I really had no clue you two were related,” Din pipes up before the siblings’ bickering could escalate to a fistfight.

“Fraternal twins,” Leia explains. “I thankfully got my mother’s brains and brawn and Luke, well… At least he’s pretty.”

“Where is that lovely ex-smuggler husband of yours by the way?” Luke asks, grinning when Leia pouts at the mention of her husband.

“Han is probably hiding under the tables drinking himself silly so he doesn’t have to talk to any past clients.”

“So the usual then?”

“Quite.”

Din’s eyes pinball between the two of them. He feels like he’s watching a tennis match with how quickly their bickering turns into banter.

Now that he sees them side by side, he could also see the slight resemblance between the twins. The same upturn to the nose, same sharp jawline and mischievous glint to their eyes.

He can’t help smiling as he watches them interact. It makes his heartache for people long-since lost and almost-forgotten.

He has no doubts Leia and Luke could continue their batting back and forth of quips and compliments alike if Leia didn’t spot the time on the wall clock.

“Oh shit, I have to give my speech in a minute.”

“Sucks to be you,” Luke sing-songs.

Leia rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I really wonder if it’s worth being the favourite twin.”

“So do I,” Luke replies. He gives Leia a kiss on the cheek. “You’ll do just fine. You always knock the ball right out of the park.”

Her smile softens, a hand coming up to pat Luke’s cheek lovingly. “Thank you. Now _behave.”_

“Can’t make any promises,” Luke calls out as Leia starts pushing her way to the front of the room.

Right on cue, waiters in penguin coats start handing out flutes of champagne. A rake thin elderly gentleman approaches them, his suit slightly different in cut and style which may suggest him being the head waiter for the evening.

“Master Luke,” he says in a rather posh accent. “Always a pleasure to see you, sir.”

“Hello Threepio,” Luke says, grinning up at him. “Leia treating you well?”

“Always, Master Luke,” Threepio chimes. He spots Din for the first time, head tilting slightly as he looks him over. “And who might your friend be?”

“Threepio, this is my friend Din,” Luke says. “Din, this is Anthony Daniels or as we lovingly refer to him as, Threepio. He was our house butler growing up, practically raised us.”

“Oh pish-posh,” Threepio says, waving about a gloved hand. “I’ll hear no such blaspheme. Your parents did a wonderful job raising you both.” He looks to Din, fuzzy grey eyebrows rising. “They really did do a wonderful job.”

Luke mouths _Nope_ and makes a cutting motion across his neck to Din from behind Threepio. Luke just as quickly puts on a smile when Threepio turns his attention back to him.

Din masks his laughter behind a cough.

Threepio looks like he’s about to say more when there’s the light tinkling sound of a fork clinking against a glass.

“And that’s my cue,” Threepio sighs. He offers up a tray with champagne glasses. Luke takes one and so does Din, though without any plans to actually drink it.

“See you later Threepio,” Luke whispers as the man disappears into the crowd.

“House butler?” Din questions, unable to hold back his smirk.

Luke rolls his eyes, sneaking a sip from his champagne. “It was a brighter time.”

“Hello everyone, could I please get your attention?”

Din peaks over the heads of the few rows of people in front of him to spot Leia at the front of the room, champagne glass in hand. The crowd’s chattering dies down into complete silence at her command.

Her smile is regal, her chin tilted up slightly to give the effect that she was looking down upon her audience like some queen atop her throne. The look really did suit her.

“I just would like to start by saying thank you to all of you for coming through for our little celebration of my parents’ anniversary. It is very much appreciated.”

“Little?” Din whispers in shock.

Luke scoffs, pitching his voice low while his sister gives her speech. “Oh yeah, this is nothing. Wait until New Year’s Eve, that is something you pray to get blackout drunk for.”

“Are you speaking from experience?” Din asks.

“Absolutely,” Luke says, sending Din a cheeky grin.

“– so without further ado,” Leia says, “I’d like to call up the happy couple we’re all here to celebrate. Mother, Father, if you would?”

There’s a round of polite applause as Anakin and Padmé join Leia at the front. Anakin takes her spot, Leia standing alongside her mother while her father smiles at the crowd with that same hollow grin.

“Thank you, darling, for putting all of this together for us, it really is marvellous. Isn’t it marvellous?” he asks the crowd, getting another round of applause as a reply.

“I tend to get a little rambly when it comes to talking about my beautiful wife so I will try to keep this short.” The hollow smile fades and something like genuine affection replaces it as Anakin turns to face his wife.

“Padmé, light of my life, my better half. I have loved you since the day I met you, and I will continue to love you long after death may try it’s best to part us. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. I love you.”

There’s a round of “Awwwws” as Anakin leans in to press a kiss to Padmé’s cheek. She blushes slightly under her husband’s attention, giving his hand a quick squeeze before taking to the floor.

Like Leia, Padmé makes up for in presence what she lacks in height, the room immediately focusing on her as she steps center stage.

“Hello everyone. I’ll also try to keep this short as I’m sure you’re all dying to get to dessert.” There’s a round of chuckles. Luke rolls his eyes fondly, much to Din’s amusement.

“Husband, dearest,” Padmé says, looking to Anakin. “I could not have asked for a better person to walk alongside me, hand in hand through life. You are my reason for waking up when all seems dark and grey. You always manage to see a silver lining where everyone else only sees storm clouds. And you are without a doubt not only my best friend but the love of my life, in every life, both past and future. To twenty-five years of bliss and many more to come.”

Padmé raises her glass and the rest of the room does the same. “To love.”

“To love!” the crowd echoes, another round of applause filling the room as Padmé and Anakin clink glasses and share a chaste kiss.

“Well, that was rather touching,” Din says as the crowd goes back to mingling, the music fading in once more as waiters begin to bring out dessert options and laying them on the table.

“I suppose so,” Luke says. He drains his glass, placing it on the empty tray of a passing waiter. He eyes Din’s untouched glass. “Are you going to finish that?”

Din arches a brow, looking between the glass and Luke. “Depends, do I want to meet Tipsy Luke?”

“Probably not, but you’re going to anyway,” Luke says, plucking the glass from Din’s hands and downing its contents in one go.

“Oh dear, it’s not even ten o’clock and he’s already downing drinks like a Frat bro at some college shindig,” Leia remarks as she rejoins them.

“Sister dearest, that was a brilliant speech!” Luke cheers, wrapping an arm around Leia’s shoulders and leaning on her a little too precariously for Din’s liking.

“Oh please, I saw you and Din talking the whole way through it,” Leia chides.

Din opens his mouth, about to apologize but Leia puts a finger up to stop him. “Don’t worry. I promise you whatever Luke had to say was probably far funnier than my anecdote.”

“You told a joke? I don’t recall the crowd laughing,” Luke says.

“Oh dear, he’s already entered Sassy Mode,” Leia remarks, a slight tint of worry in her eyes.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” Luke says, grabbing another flute of champagne from a passing waiter only for Leia to pluck the glass from him and down it herself.

“That was mine!” Luke cries in outrage.

Leia smacks her lips, beaming up at her brother. “Yes, and it was lovely. I really did a wonderful job of picking the year, no thanks to you.”

“It’s not my fault they all taste the same to me,” Luke argues.

Leia sends Din a look that can only be read as _See what I have to deal with?_

Stepping out from under Luke’s arm, Leia deposits her empty glass in Luke’s hand. “Please try not to bite Father’s head off when I’m not around. I want to at least be present when the bitch slaps start flying.”

“I’ll make sure to call you before the good bit starts,” Luke assures her.

Leia winks. “Please feel free to not look after my brother, Mr. Djarin. No one else should suffer besides himself for his lack of sobriety.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Din says.

Luke raises the empty champagne glass to ponder at it, pouting slightly. “I really can’t believe she stole my drink.”

“I can,” Din says, taking the glass from Luke and putting it on the nearest table in fear a waiter might appear to top it up. “You two really love one another, don’t you?”

“More than life itself,” Luke says, silly grin melting into something softer. “Leia’s always in my corner even when she shouldn’t be.”

“She really is quite something. I wouldn’t be surprised if Cara tries to make a move.”

Luke snorts. “Wouldn’t be the first time someone’s tried to swindle her away from her husband.”

“Has anyone ever succeeded?”

“No, but Leia does like making Han jealous occasionally. Apparently, it adds a bit of spice to the monotony of married life.” Luke pulls a face at this last point. “I really don’t understand straight people.”

“Me neither,” Din replies easily.

Luke’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. It’s almost comical how wide his eyes are. “You’re –?”

“Biromantic Asexual,” Din answers before he can think too hard on it.

Luke places a hand to his heart. “I’m Pan. Sexual, that is. Pansexual and wow I am _waaay_ too tipsy from only two glasses of champagne.”

“Maybe some fresh air will do you good?”

Luke hums, cupping his chin as if the thought warrants the utmost consideration. “Maybe…”

“I’d offer to go with, but I can’t leave my post,” Din says, indicating the lounge area.

Luke waves his apology away. “Doooon’t worry. I’ll be fine. Bit of fresh air will sober me riiiight up!”

“Uh-huh,” Din says, not believing a word of it. “Cara’s out there so you can always go keep her company.”

Luke snaps a finger gun at Din. “That sounds like a brilliant idea. We can trash talk straight people together!”

“She’d honestly love that,” Din says.

“Then Imma go do that!” Luke says with a fist pump in the air. He spins on his heel and starts for the garden, managing to trip only once on his way out.

Din places a finger to his ear, whispering over his comms link. “Cara, Luke’s heading your way. Keep an eye on him, will you?”

 _“Pretty boy’s here?”_ Cara asks with surprise.

“Long story. He’s a bit tipsy, just warning you.”

 _“Oh this is gonna be brilliant,”_ Cara says.

“Behave.”

_“Yeah yeah – oh hey Pretty Boy!”_

_“Cara! How would you like to trash talk straight people with me?”_

_“Oh fuck yes!”_

Din shakes his head with a sigh, logging off the comms for now. Those two were a platonic match made in heaven. Din could only pray Cara didn’t egg Luke on to do anything too stupid that he might regret in the morning.

The next hour passes by without much fanfare. Din takes a slow walk about the perimeter of the room, keeping to the sidelines without drawing too much attention to himself. Thankfully no one tries to strike up a conversation with him, although he does spot more than a couple of people giving him appreciative looks. He tries to shake off the ill feeling their unwanted attention brings about.

He’s busy giving the overabundant choice of snacks a perusal when his comms link crackles.

“Hello?” Din says.

_“Din, we’ve got a situation over here.”_

“How bad?”

Cara huffs. _“As in ‘Mando, the goose has landed’ kind of bad.”_.

Din swears under his breath at the secret code for _get your ass here now to help diffuse the situation before someone cuts someone else with a broken bottle_. It’s oddly specific and yet has happened on multiple occasions, hence warranting its creation in the first place.

Din makes a beeline for the gardens at a slightly sped up but still seemingly sedate pace. He doesn’t want to draw too much attention to whatever havoc has sprung up in the garden.

It doesn’t take long to find Cara. She’s by an impressive ice sculpture of Anakin and Padmé looking lovingly into each other’s eyes, a small crowd beginning to gather around two arguing figures.

Din has to hold back a groan when he sees who it is.

It’s none other than Anakin Naberrie and Luke freaking Skywalker.

They’re circling one another like lions on the prowl. Luke must have gotten his hands on more champagne because he’s swaying on the spot. His jacket is hanging half off his shoulders, hair mussed, and shirt unbuttoned one too many buttons low to be considered decent. And he’s currently poking Anakin in the chest and glaring up at him like he’s something unwanted on the bottom of his expensive boots.

“And another thing you pompous, ass-licking –”

“Darling, there you are!” Din says, stepping between Anakin and Luke.

Cara’s eyes widen, knowing exactly which route Din was going with this and no doubt enjoying the ever-loving hell out of it. One of the major factors of having security at a party this big with this many important people is to blend in as well with the crowd as possible so as not to make anyone tetchy. Sometimes that included diffusing awkward situations or simply avoiding them by swooping in and pretending to be a romantic partner or perhaps a sibling or a parent to take away whoever might be targeted. Which is what has led to Din calling Luke “Darling” of all things in front of a too-large crowd of very influential people who no doubt live off of nothing but caviar and gossip.

Din tries to ignore the sight of Cara’s phone held none-too-discretely in her hand which is no doubt recording all of this for blackmail purposes.

“I was looking all over for you,” Din says, trying to block Luke’s view of his father.

“Mr. Djarin if you’d please remove my son from the premises –” Anakin starts.

“This is Leia’s house, only Leia can banish me from it!” Luke argues.

Din catches Luke’s hands in his, pushing him back to put some space between him and Anakin. He leans down, speaking low just for Luke’s ears.

“Please don’t make me carry you out of here, because I will.”

“Please do!” Luke says, loud enough for the entire garden and perhaps even the rest of the guests inside the house to hear. “Anything would be better than having to listen to this scumbag’s utter droll about the military’s so-called value to bringing supposed peace.”

Anakin is seething, words tight and dangerous as he grits out, “Luke Naberrie –”

“Not mah name!” Luke crows. “I’m good ol’ Luke Skywalker. Remember that name, Pops? Name of the dirt-poor farmers who raised you. Ring any bells?”

“Luke, please stop, you’re making a scene,” Din begs.

“Luke, please continue, this is gold,” Cara jeers then immediately hushes up when Din sends her an ice-cold glare.

 _“Not. Helping,”_ he bites out.

“What is going on here?”

Din groans. As if this situation couldn’t get any worse here comes Leia, pushing her way to the front of the growing crowd watching the spectacle before them. She takes in her brother, still swaying like a sailor out on sea, her fuming father and Din between them, face-palming hard enough that he’s probably going to leave an angry red mark on his forehead.

“Oh no,” Leia says.

“Oh yes!” Luke cries. “And I’m just getting started –”

Leia sighs. It’s a world-weary sound, the sigh of Atlas trying to balance the world on his shoulders.

“Din, you have full permission to fireman carry my brother out of here,” Leia says.

“With pleasure,” Din says. “Come along _dear_ , I think it’s time we left.”

“I’m not going anywhe – Woah!”

With swift, sure movements, Din has Luke scooped up and thrown over his shoulder like a sack of flour in two seconds flat.

“Sorry about that everyone, my partner tends to get a little theatrical if he’s had too much to drink,” Din says as he starts to carry Luke out of the gardens towards the back gate that will lead them to the parking lot where there are hopefully far fewer eyes and ears to worry about.

“THEATRICAL? ME?!” Luke cries, kicking his feet uselessly. “The audacity!”

Thankfully, Din already has the key to his motorbike in his blazer pocket, however, Luke is too far gone to be trusted on the back of a bike. He’s considering calling a cab, then immediately scratches the idea when he remembers just how far out Leia’s mansion is to the city, let alone Din’s neighbourhood. Besides, he doesn’t want to give anyone any more cannon fodder to use against Luke or Leia, and the last thing he needs is a nosey cabbie putting two and two together and blabbing to the press about their version of what went down.

“Din, please put me down,” Luke says. He’s ceased his kicking, hanging limply over Din’s shoulder, limbs swaying.

“Do you promise to behave?” Din asks.

“To the best of my ability,” Luke says.

Din rolls his eyes. It’s good enough.

He places Luke’s feet on the ground, helping him straighten up.

His cheeks are blood red from hanging upside down for so long, his hair in disarray. However, he’s stopped his swaying on the spot so that must be a good sign.

“Luke, you with me?” Din asks, waving a hand in front of Luke’s face.

Luke looks about, checking to see if anyone’s nearby. When he deems the coast clear he gives himself a little shake and all of a sudden, it’s like he’s stone-cold sober. His eyes are no longer heavy-lidded as he straightens out his jacket and re-does the loose buttons of his shirt. He runs his fingers through his hair, humming idly whilst doing so.

Din stares. And stares. And _stares_ before hanging his face in his hands with a groan.

“Please, please don’t tell me you were, in fact, sober when doing all of… _that_.”

Luke winces, biting his bottom lip nervously. “I may have… slightly over-exaggerated how much alcohol was in my system.”

_“Slightly?!”_

“In my defense!” Luke says, “I did ask Leia if it was okay to cause a scene and she gave me full permission to do so.”

Din’s rubbing at his temples at this point, trying to fend off the on-coming headache threatening to split his head open.

He tries to find the words to describe how very messed up this whole situation is but all he can come up with is a tired, “Why?”

“You saw my father,” Luke says. He snorts, shaking his head as if even the mere thought of Anakin makes him angry. Maybe it does. “He has sold his soul to gain power and riches most cannot begin to fathom, and it makes me sick. So yeah, should I have done that? Probably not.”

“Very. Much. _Not_ ,” Din reiterates.

Luke nods, “Right. Very much not. But do I regret it? No. I’m sorry, but I don’t. If you knew half of the shit he has done in the name of ‘peace’ and ‘order’ I assure you, you’d probably want to spit in his face too.”

“Please tell me you didn’t –”

“Well, I was _working up to it_ until you came and tried to break us apart!”

“Luke!”

“I’m sorry, Din!”

Din pauses, finally meeting Luke’s gaze dead-on since this whole ridiculous situation started.

“I’m sorry,” Luke says again, softer this time. The remorse is evitable in his voice and Din can’t do anything but believe him as he stands here before him, suddenly looking so small and weary and _wounded_.

Luke’s wringing his hand around his right wrist, prosthetic fingers curling and flexing as he speaks. “That was childish and unnecessary –”

“Highly unnecessary.”

“– _highly_ unnecessary, and I’m sorry that I put you and your company’s reputation on the line. That was selfish of me.”

Din sighs. He places his hands on his hips, considering this strange, complicated, beautiful man before him.

_Stars above, I’m a goner for him._

“Swear to me that this won’t happen again.”

“I swear,” Luke says. “I – I’ll try to reel myself in when it comes to my father next time.”

“Good,” Din says. He considers Luke a moment before asking, “You ever ridden a motorcycle before?”

Luke does a double-take at the sudden change in topic. “Uh… no. Why?”

“I’m taking you home,” Din says. He digs his keys out of his blazer pocket, throwing them up into the air only to swipe them mid-fall.

Luke’s jaw works, words escaping him a moment before he starts nodding. “R-right. Yeah. No, that, uh, that would be pretty boy – pretty great! That would be – ahem –” Luke shifts on the spot, rubbing the back of his neck while his cheeks flush a rosy pink. “I’d appreciate that.”

“Good,” Din says. He’s unable to contain his small, pleased grin. A flustered Luke is a rather adorable sight. “Follow me.”

He starts towards where he’d parked his motorcycle off to the side where it wouldn’t get in the way or risk scratching any highly expensive cars.

“You know,” Din says, twirling his key chain around his finger idly. “While I don’t condemn pretending to be drunk to justify have a shouting match with your father slash supervillain, spitting in the face of a corrupt warmonger is something I could get behind.”

Luke grins, bumping his shoulder playfully with Din’s. “You just keep getting better and better.”

*

Din tries not to think too hard about how nice it is to have Luke’s arms around him while he drives them home. Nor how natural it feels when Luke hooks his chin over Din’s shoulder to give him directions.

 _Keep it together, Djarin,_ becomes his mantra the entire drive there. What feels like hours and yet also minutes later, he’s pulling up to an apartment complex in the downtown area of Coruscant. It isn’t Outer Rim, but it’s also far-flung from Leia’s fancy estate.

“This is me,” Luke says. He hops off Din’s bike, unclipping the spare helmet. He tugs it off and gives his head a shake, ruffling his hair. Din desperately wants to reach out and fix it for him.

Luke smiles shyly at him, offering back the helmet. “Thanks for the ride.”

“No problem,” Din replies.

Luke stays there a moment, rocking back and forth on his heels like he’s waiting for something. Din’s about to ask if he’s okay when Luke splutters out, “Would you like to come up?”

“Uh…”

“For tea,” Luke adds quickly. “I’m not – sorry, wow, that sounded a lot more suggestive than I meant. I just – it’s the least I can do.”

“Won’t your kettle explode if you try and use it?” Din quips.

Luke rolls his eyes. “I promise, even I’m not that much of a disaster.”

“Could have fooled me,” Din says but he’s already pulling off his helmet and putting up the kickstand for his bike.

Luke unlocks the front door with a tag on his keychain, holding the door open for Din with a bow and an “After you.”

A silence descends upon them as they enter the elevator, though it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. Something Din’s noticed over the last month of shared dinners is that while Luke likes to talk and tends to ramble at times, he’s surprisingly easy to sit in silence with. Whether that be him scrolling on his phone while Din reads a book to Grogu, or the two of them doing dishes together.

It’s nice. Almost domestic in a sense.

Which is probably why it’s scaring the shit out of Din just how quickly Luke’s managed to become someone he’s comfortable to sit in silence with.

Before he knows it Luke’s busy whistling as he unlocks his apartment door.

“Artoo, I’m home!”

“Who’s –”

There’s an annoyed “Meow!” and then a streak of grey and white comes bolting for Luke. Din shuts the door, watching Luke as he picks up a cat who looks two seconds away from scratching him.

“Hey, buddy, sorry I’m late,” Luke says, stroking Artoo between his ears. The cat quickly melts in his arms, purring louder than Din’s car engine.

Luke is gentle with his cat, chatting to him quietly as he walks deeper into his apartment. It’s moderately sized, a small kitchenette tucked into the corner with an armchair and a loveseat surrounding a small TV screen. There’s no dining table, Din notes, and only one of the windows has a semi-decent view, the other blocked by a brick wall. There are pots of assorted aloe plants decorating the windowsill. The bedroom and bathroom are hidden behind the two doors to the right. Overall, the space feels lived in, but Din doesn’t know if he’d call it a home.

“What can I get you?” Luke asks, pulling Din out of his thoughts. Luke’s leaned up against the kitchen counter, kettle already boiling. Artoo is on the counter alongside him, rubbing against Luke’s shoulder, tail flickering. In the time Din’s been occupied looking around the apartment, Luke has shed his jacket and boots and undone the two top buttons of his shirt. He looks rumpled and relaxed.

“Uh, do you have anything with cinnamon in it?”

Luke pulls a thinking face before turning to reach for the cupboard above the kettle. “I dunno. I might have something from the teas Leia’s left here.”

Din, distracted by watching Luke lean up on his tiptoes to reach the highest shelf, doesn’t notice Artoo approaching him until he feels something curl around his ankles.

Din freezes, fighting back the urge to jump away.

“Not a cat person?” Luke asks. He must have found something because he’s busy prepping two mugs.

“Not really…” Din says, keeping very still while Artoo continues to loop around his ankles. “Bad experience when I was a kid. They just… don’t seem to like me very much.”

“Artoo doesn’t seem to mind you.”

“Artoo’s the first,” Din replies, looking down to the cat in question. Two bright blue eyes look back at him, Artoo offering him a drawn-out “Meow” in question as if to ask, “Do we have a problem?”

“He likes his chin being tickled.”

Din looks back up at Luke. He’s smiling softly, watching Din and Artoo’s interaction with great interest.

“Uh…”

“He doesn’t bite. Promise.”

“You never know,” Din warns but does as Luke instructed. He leans down, hesitantly stroking Artoo under the chin. The cat immediately begins to purr, leaning into Din’s touch.

Din releases a shocked puff of laughter. Guess there really is a first time for everything.

“See, he likes you,” Luke says. He’s standing in front of them, steaming mugs in hand, smiling with a twinkle in his eye.

“I guess,” Din shrugs. He straightens up, taking the proffered mug. It has cartoon cats on it. “Thanks.”

Luke watches him over the rim of his mug as he takes a tentative first sip. Din hums in surprise. It’s exactly how he likes it.

“How did you –”

“Two sugars, lots of milk, right?” Luke asks.

Din nods, taking another sip.

Luke grins. “I have a knack for drink orders. Maybe thanks to my working in a coffee shop during college.”

“You were a barista?”

Luke sighs, settling into the armchair. He sits in it sideways, legs slung over one of the arms as he cradles his mug to his chest.

“Yep, did most of the drink orders. They quickly realized I shouldn’t be trusted anywhere near a toaster, let alone a stove. It was kinda nice, met some interesting people. Plus, I had to pay for food somehow. Goodness knows I wasn’t gonna be able to cook for myself.”

Carefully, Din settles on the loveseat. He considers kicking his shoes off and putting them up but fears that might be too presumptuous.

“So… your parents didn’t…?”

“Not a cent,” Luke answers, already knowing where Din is going with this. “My Uncle Ben helped me get through college but everything else was all me. Father dearest wasn’t very keen on supporting a son who shunned the military.”

“They kicked you out?”

Luke shrugs a single shoulder, lips pursing. “I mean, kinda? Leia was doing the whole Ivy League doctorate in political sciences thing meanwhile dad had just forked over a fortune for a prosthetic I didn’t ask for and I was refusing to go back to the air force so… I left. I just… I couldn’t stand being under the same roof as a person who constantly looked at me with disappointment in his eyes.”

“I’m sorry,” Din murmurs, knowing the phrase is pretty much useless but it’s the only thing he can think to say.

Luke shrugs again, sipping on his tea. His leg swings in an easy rhythm. “It’s fine. Those years at college is when I really discovered myself and tried to figure out what I wanted to do. What change I wanted to make that didn’t include guns and blood money.”

A small, quiet smile graces Luke’s lips. “I really have my Uncle Ben to thank. He believed in me when it felt like the whole world had turned its back against me.”

“He’s the one who got you the job at Dagobah?” Din asks.

Luke nods. “Mr. Yoda is his old mentor. He vouched for me and Yoda took a chance and well,” he raises his mug, gesturing around him. “Here I am, living my best life.”

“Mentors are important,” Din says. “My dojo master was the same. His name was Kuill, tiny little man but he really was a master of his craft. He helped me work through my anger and find a sense of peace when I thought I’d be stuck with this raging storm inside my chest forever.”

“Which martial arts did you do?” Luke asks.

“All of them,” Din replies.

Luke nearly chokes, wiping at the tea dribbling down his chin. _“All of them?”_

“Well, all the ones Kuill’s dojo offered. Which was a lot.” At Luke’s wide-eyed expression Din explains, “I worked through the curriculums quickly. Picked up on techniques faster than any of my peers. It just came… naturally. Like fixing car engines.”

“Did you also work at a garage?” Luke asks.

Din nods, “I worked for Peli throughout high school. I think you’ve met her?”

“Curly hair, covered in motor oil, mouth that could make a sailor blush?” Luke asks.

Din chuckles. “That’s the one.”

“I worked at my uncle’s farm during the summers,” Luke says. “I would help out at the garage next door if they ever needed an extra hand.”

“You mentioned Tatooine,” Din says, “To your father.”

Luke nods, staring down at his mug. “He grew up there. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said dirt poor farmers. They really had it rough out there. Now he doesn’t even talk to them anymore. I just… I don’t understand how someone can just abandon their family like that.”

Something twists sharp and uncomfortable in Din’s chest. However, Luke quickly recovers, sunshine smile back as he asks, “Did you do any competitions? For martial arts?”

Din, thankful for the change in subject, waves his hand in a so-so gesture. “A couple. I didn’t do too badly.”

Luke arches a brow in question, lips quirking in the corner. “Why do I have the feeling you’re underselling yourself.”

Din leans back with a sigh, crossing his feet at the ankles in front of him. His finger taps idly at his mug as he admits, “I may have gone to nationals a couple of times.”

“A couple of times he says!” Luke cries, throwing his arms up and staring at the ceiling like he’s asking the gods how Din can be like this. “Did you at least win?”

Din says nothing, giving a single nod as he sips on his tea.

Luke’s shaking his head, smile only growing as he watches him. “Did you use the money for those badass tattoos of yours?”

“Some of it,” Din replies. Most of it went towards the orphanage he grew up in, to help with the upkeep. By the time he was ageing out of the system, the Naverro Home for Orphaned Children was on its last legs. Din had to start taking care of himself and while the decision gutted him, he could no longer use his hard-earned money to try help keep the orphanage afloat and try support himself at the same time. Funds dried up and by the time Din was working for Moff Gideon’s security firm, the orphanage he’d called home for eight years was nothing more than an abandoned building with a rickety “for sale” sign stuck out front. He suddenly found himself wondering what happened to the kids who were still under the orphanage’s care when he left. Of Paz and the other boys who had aged out before him, disappearing into the real world and never coming by for the visits they promised. Then again, Din didn’t really visit all that much either once he was working full time.

“Din? Hey, you okay?”

Din blinks, coming back to himself. Luke has moved from his spot on the armchair, his mug placed to the side where Artoo is licking into it. Instead, he’s sitting crouched in front of Din, looking up at him with concern in those cornflower blue eyes. His hand hovers above Din’s wrist, not touching, not without permission.

“I’m okay,” Din rasps. “Just… lost in thought.”

Luke pulls his hand back, offering Din an encouraging smile. “Well, if… if you ever want to just… talk. I’m told I’m a pretty good listener.”

Din’s smile is wavering, hands tightening their hold on his now cold mug of tea. “Thank you. I’ll… I’ll think about it.”

“Good.” Luke straightens up, stretching his arms over his head. His spine gives a soft _pop_.

“I should get going,” Din says.

Luke checks his phone and winces when he sees what time it is. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

Din shakes his head, standing up and taking his mug to the kitchen. “It’s fine. Events like these tend to end this late anyway.”

“Still, I am sorry for my little…” Luke wiggles his fingers.

Din huffs a laugh, depositing his mug into the sink. “It’s fine. Water under the bridge.”

“Does this mean I can still come over for dinner sometimes?” Luke asks, biting his bottom lip.

Holding back the shiver that image brings Din nods. “Yeah. Yeah, of course.”

Luke sighs, wiping his brow with exaggeration. “Phew, that’s a relief. I don’t think I could go back to eating microwave mac n cheese five times a week.”

Din’s brows furrow. “I seriously worry about your health sometimes.”

“You and Leia both,” Luke sighs.

He walks Din to the door, the two of them hovering there a moment.

Luke’s hugging his arm to his chest, eyes peeking up at Din through his fair lashes.

“So.”

“So…”

Din clears his throat, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “I guess I better –”

“Din.”

Din stops, watching Luke. He’s rocking a little on the balls of his feet again, bottom lip between his teeth. Din’s slowly starting to understand that this means he’s considering doing something he’s worried about.

Before he can ask, Luke’s leaning up on his tiptoes and pressing a soft kiss to Din’s cheek.

“Thanks for the ride home,” Luke murmurs, pulling back.

Din freezes a moment, fingers hovering over the spot Luke just kissed. Luke’s ducked his head, gaze fixed to the floor. His cheeks are starting to redden.

“You…”

“Grogu’s probably waiting up for you,” Luke whispers.

Din nods, not knowing what else to say. “Right. Yeah, I guess I’ll…” he tapers off, words escaping him because what? _What?!_

“Drive safe,” Luke says.

“I will.”

“Let me know when you get home safe?”

Din nods again, heart thundering in his chest. “Of course.”

“Good. Good night.”

“Night.”

Luke closes his door quietly, leaving Din to stand in the middle of an empty hallway, still a bit in shock, fingers pressed to his burning cheek.

Little does he know that Luke’s slid down to the floor, back pressed against his door as he hides his burning face in his hands, muttering, “Shit, shit, shit!” over and over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Din's party outfit is based off [this photo](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/33/15/0e/33150e0bc297dd285a0bbd9a7205ca73.jpg)
> 
> Luke's is from this [lovely suit](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1f/38/29/1f382938a0d14eb48b2cf61eb29b1fc9.jpg)
> 
> And here be [Leia's dress](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/aa/97/72aa9744acb5a0d9ad02c952c3482fa7.jpg)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Cara – listen to me.”
> 
> “No, you listen to me! I’ll bring my hot date to Sunday dinner if you bring yours. And I won’t show anyone the video I took. Deal?”
> 
> Din groans, scrubbing a hand through his hair. He hated it when Cara resorted to blackmail.
> 
> “Fine!” he barks out. “Fine, I’ll invite him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo ya'll might notice that I changed the number of chapters this fic will be. I thought it was only going to be three but this one started getting too long and so I've split it. I think there might be two more chapters? We'll see!
> 
> Also *PLEASE NOTE*
> 
> There is a short description of a past attempt at non-consensual sex in this chapter. It doesn't go into detail but I wanted to just give this warning anyway just in case.

“Nope.”

Din huffs, rolling his eyes for Grogu’s entertainment who giggles silently. It’s Saturday afternoon. He’s on the phone with Cara, trying to convince her to finally bring the girl she’s been seeing for the last three months to Sunday supper, but Cara is refusing to budge.

“No, there’s no way in hell I’m bringing her to that shit show.”

“Why not?”

“Cause you lot will scare her off!”

“Cara,” Din says, leaning his hip against the kitchen counter. “No offense, but if you haven’t managed to scare her off yet, then you’re probably good.”

“Fuck you, Djarin.”

“Love you too, Dune.”

“Ugh… there’s really no way I’m going to convince you otherwise, is there?”

“Nope,” Din says. Grogu patters up to him, tugging on the bottom of his shirt. Din takes the picture Grogu is offering him, giving his son’s hair a quick ruffle with a quiet, “Thanks, buddy.”

Grogu grins, going back to his drawing spot in the lounge.

“What’s he given you?” Cara asks.

“It’s a drawing of –” Din freezes.

It’s a drawing of him and Grogu and a figure with a bright yellow blob of hair. There’s a big pink heart around all three of them.

“Din? Din, you alive?”

“Yeah,” Din croaks. “Yeah, it’s just –”

“Just?”

“A drawing of me and Grogu. And Luke.”

“Oooooooh,” Cara says, sounding far too smug for Din’s liking. “So, he’s made it into the family portrait, has he?”

“Cara…”

“Oh! You should invite him to Sunday!”

“Absolutely not!”

Grogu’s head pops up at his father’s tone, frowning slightly. Din turns, muttering to Cara quietly.

“He’s only a friend.”

“Oh, come on, Djarin, you and I both know that isn’t true,” Cara jeers. “You were more than happy to call him all those cutesy pet names at the party.”

“That doesn’t count.”

“Oh, doesn’t it? The video I have says otherwise. I wonder what the others might think if they saw it?”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh, I would.”

“Cara – listen to me.”

“No, you listen to me! I’ll bring my hot date to Sunday if you bring yours. And I won’t show anyone the video I took. Deal?”

Din groans, scrubbing a hand through his hair. He hated it when Cara resorted to blackmail.

“Fine!” he barks out. “Fine, I’ll invite him.”

“Yes!”

“But just so you know, I am going to roast you in front of your date.”

“Oh honey, and you thought I wouldn’t do the same in front of Pretty Boy?” Cara snarks.

“He can’t possibly approve of that nickname,” Din grumbles.

“The cute little blush he had when I used it says otherwise.”

“Goodbye, Cara.”

“Bye-bye, Din!”

Din slams the end call button, chucking his phone on the counter with a grunt. Great. Just great.

Grogu waves his hand, capturing his father’s attention. He signs his question, head tilted slightly.

“It’s nothing bad, kiddo,” Din says while signing. “Mr. Skywalker might be joining us for supper tomorrow.”

Grogu lights up, pumping a fist in the air for good measure. Of course, he’d be all for it.

Din sighs as he looks at the picture Grogu drew again, memories of soft lips pressed to his cheek coming forth. He had to admit, it did make his heart flutter just a little bit.

Before he can chicken out, he grabs his phone again, opening up his chat with Luke.

**Din Djarin:** _Hey. Are you free tomorrow evening for supper?_

Not even a minute later and he has a response.

**Luke Skywalker:** _Hey :) Yeah, I’d love to come!_

**Din Djarin:** _Just warning you, my friends will be there._

**Luke Skywalker:** _I’ve met most of them already, haven’t I?_

Din chuckles, thumbs typing out his answer.

**Din Djarin:** _I guess you have actually, yeah._

**Luke Skywalker:** _Then it should be fine :)  
_

 **Luke Skywalker:** _What time should I aim to arrive and do I need to bring anything?_

**Din Djarin:** _6pm and wine if you have._

**Luke Skywalker:** _Oh, I’ve got plenty of wine, fear not!_

**Din Djarin:** _Then you’ll fit right in. See you at 6._

**Luke Skywalker:** _See you then!_

With a sigh, Din closes his phone, resting it against his lips.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

*

Luke may or may not be having a mini-fashion crisis and Leia may or may not be smirking at him through his laptop screen as he empties out his entire closet onto his bedroom floor.

 _“Just wear something casual,”_ she says.

“Yes, but I don’t want it to be too casual. I still want to look nice. But not like I’ve spent three hours getting dressed.”

_“Even though it’s been four?”_

“You’re not helping, Leia!”

Leia sips noisily at her glass of wine. She’s still a little salty about Luke’s tizzy he had at the party with their father even though she really had permitted him to do so.

_“Leia have you seen my – oh hey kid!”_

Another face joins Leia’s and Luke sighs in relief.

“Han, help me!” Luke cries.

Leia snorts. _“You’re seriously going to ask Han for fashion advice?”_

Han’s jaw drops, utter betrayal on his face. _“What’s that supposed to mean?”_

Leia turns in her seat, perfectly manicured hand stroking her husband’s cheek lovingly. _“Darling, I love you, really I do. But you did wear a leather waistcoat to almost every single date we went on our first year as a couple.”_

 _“Well it worked, didn’t it?”_ Han asks, desperation creeping into his voice.

Leia barks a single “Ha!” before gulping down the rest of her wine.

Han shakes his head. _“Unbelievable. My whole life is a lie.”_

_“Don’t be so dramatic, dear. I still married you.”_

_“But at what cost?!”_

“Guys!”

The couple stops their bickering long enough to turn their attention back to a frazzled Luke.

“I love you both, but would you please stop flirting and _help me!”_

Han huffs, flicking his fringe out of his eyes. _“What’s the sitch kid?”_

“Dinner with a potential partner’s friends slash family.”

Han winces. _“And those are your best options?”_

Luke looks down at the two outfits he’s holding in either hand. One’s his usual sweater over a button-down with chinos. The other’s a little more formal, a T-shirt with a blazer over it and skinny jeans.

“Yes?” he asks, suddenly unsure about all his life choices that have led up to this very moment.

Han shakes his head. _“No.”_

“No?”

Leia also shakes her head. _“No.”_

Luke drops the outfits onto the floor, hands flying up in an _I’m done!_ motion. “Well shit.”

*

Luke takes a minute outside Din’s front door to try and calm down.

No thanks to Han and Leia, Luke ended up running a little late, arriving at Din’s to find the driveway and street already packed with cars.

“Okay, Luke. You’re gonna be just fine. You’ve met all of them before, it’s not a big deal. You’re just meeting your crush’s family. It’s not. A big. Deal.”

“Uh…”

Luke swivels round to find a woman staring up at him from the bottom of the porch steps. She’s curvy with her mousy blonde hair shorn short on the one side, the longer strands falling in messy waves.

And she’s looking up at Luke like he’s just started strip teasing on Din’s porch.

Honestly, he could probably do that and it still wouldn’t be as embarrassing.

“Please tell me you didn’t hear all of that?” Luke asks with a wince.

The woman offers him a placating smile and shrug and yep she one hundred percent heard him.

Luke sighs, hanging his head back to look up at the porch ceiling as if it somehow contains all the answers.

“I’m guessing you must be Luke?” the woman says. She walks up the few steps, joining Luke at his spot right outside the front door.

“Yeah, I am. How did you –”

“Cara mentioned I wouldn’t be the only new-comer,” the woman explains. She sticks her hand out. “I’m Aurora.”

“Luke, but you already knew that,” Luke says, taking the woman’s hand and giving it a friendly shake. It’s then he spots the bottle of wine clutched in her other hand.

“I see Cara gave you the same memo,” he says, lifting his own wine bottle up. It’s Merlot, his favourite and the only red wine he can really enjoy. He’s more of a cocktail kinda guy on most occasions.

“That she did,” Aurora says, her lips tilting slightly in amusement.

The two of them eye the door. They could hear the sounds of people chatting if they strained.

“Guess we should get this over with, huh?” Luke says.

“This is the way,” Aurora replied with a sage nod before reaching out and knocking on the door.

Luke’s equally relieved and disappointed it’s Cara who opens the door instead of Din.

“Pretty Boy, you made it!”

Luke’s cheeks flush at the nickname. “Hey, Cara.”

Cara’s eyes land on her partner and something about her whole demeanour softens.

“Hey baby,” she says, stepping into Aurora’s space and giving her a welcoming kiss. Aurora smiles into it, hands resting naturally on Cara’s waist.

Luke stands there awkwardly, not wanting to go in alone but not wanting to stay and witness this probably intimate moment between the two women.

Cara must sense his unease as she pulls back from her girlfriend, saying, “Din’s in the kitchen, Grogu can’t wait to see you. We’ll be through in a few.”

Luke knew a dismissal when he heard one. With a mock salute, he steps through the doorway past the entry hall and enters the lounge, reminding himself constantly to _breathe._

While he had been partially joking about knowing everyone already who might there, Luke is surprised to realize he really has met almost all of the familiar faces he now sees before him. Fennec is on her phone, lips ticking up occasionally at whatever she must be finding amusing, Bo-Katan and Koska are having a smoke out on the back porch, deep in some very passionate discussion by the way they’re waving their hands about. Peli and Cobb are on the couch also chatting, sipping on bright blue cocktails that look rather appetizing. And like Cara said, Din is in the kitchen, Greef Karga and another man Luke can’t see the face of leaned up against the counter a little ways away from where Din is working at the stove, with Grogu perched on the unknown man’s shoulders. He was trailing a small racing car along his bald head, not that the man seemed to mind.

Releasing a shaky breath, Luke approaches Din. He tries to keep the shaking in his hands to a minimum by clutching his wine bottle close to his chest.

Greef spots him before Din does. He gives Luke an easy-going smile as he greets him. “Luke! So glad you could join us.”

There’s the sound of a pot clanging against something, the line of Din’s shoulders tensing a moment before he suddenly turns to face Luke.

He’s in his usual at-home attire wearing a thick light grey cable knit sweater and dark blue jeans hanging low on his hips. His socks are mismatching and the sleeves of his sweater are long enough that they brush his knuckles. He fidgets with them now as he stares at Luke, eyes trailing up and down his body non-too-subtly.

Luke ended up deciding on dark tan trousers belted at the waist with a black turtleneck tucked into it. He layered it with a light camel-toned cropped jacket, finishing the look off with white sneakers and a few of the rings he occasionally wore on his left index and middle finger.

“Hi,” he says, voice breathy as if he’s just run a marathon.

“Hey,” Din replies. “You look –”

Luke tilts his head slightly in question, unable to bite back the pleased grin begging to split his face in two.

“You look incredible,” Din finishes and yep! There’s the smile. There’s no way Luke’s getting rid of it for the rest of the day.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” Luke teases, giving Din an appreciative once over. Din shifts a little under his attention, hands still fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater.

“You have Dune and Shand to thank for that. Poor guy didn’t know which way was up when we started arriving.”

Luke freezes, instantly recognizing that voice. He turns to see none other than Boba Fett standing alongside Din, giving his shoulder an encouraging squeeze with Grogu still atop his shoulders and using his head as a racetrack for his toy cars.

He’s gotten a lot more scars since Luke last saw him. It must have been, what, seven, maybe eight years ago now?

He must recognize Luke because the grin he’d been wearing but a moment ago vanishes without a trace. His eyes narrow into slits.

“Skywalker.”

He’s got at least a head of height on Luke, but still, Luke crosses his arms, cocks his hip and juts his chin out while looking up at Fett serenely with a look that says “Dare to mess with me and I will kick you in the shin.”

“Fett.”

Din’s eyes dart between the two of them, lips downturned slightly.

“Do you two… know each other?”

“We’re… acquainted,” Luke says.

“I worked a security gig for his sister once,” Boba explains. “Only everyone failed to mention her new beau at the time was that slimy no-good smuggler Han Solo.”

“In our defence, pretty much everyone knew about them. It was in the tabloids for weeks,” Luke pipes up.

“Some of us don’t read those trashy gossip columns,” Boba retorts. “Anyway. Long story short, I’m working security for this yacht party thing and who comes strutting onto the main deck? Han freaking Solo.”

“It was their engagement party,” Luke corrects.

“SO!” Boba continues over him, “I see this guy and immediately pinpoint him as a threat because, you know, _notorious smuggler._ ”

Luke can’t help the amused huff that escapes him now that he thinks back on the incident. “And Fett ends up pinning Han to the deck, calling up the feds, ready to turn him in when Leia appears and sees what’s going on.”

“That lady had me flipped over and spread-eagled in two seconds flat. It was impressive,” Boba remarks, lips quirking just slightly in the corner. Leia usually had that effect on people.

“The whole thing got sorted out as a misunderstanding,” Luke finishes. “Though Han’s still a little sore about being pinned down at his own engagement party by anyone except Leia.”

Boba snorts. “Ms. Leia definitely knows how to keep control. I’ll give her that.”

Din’s eyes are still ping-ponging between the two of them, brow furrowed in confusion. “So… do you hate each other or?”

Luke shrugs. “Honestly, it was kinda funny seeing Han’s face smooshed against the deck.”

Boba snorts, giving Luke a quick once-over before sticking his hand out. “Truce?”

Luke readily takes it, giving it a firm shake. “Truce.”

“I don’t know what just happened,” Greef says staring at the spectacle before him. Din shakes his head, murmuring, “Me neither.”

Grogu taps Boba on the shoulder, Boba lowering himself so Grogu can hop off. He immediately rams into Luke, smiling up at him.

Luke tucks his wine bottle under his arm so he can use both hands to try and sign while he talks. “Hey, Grogu. How have you been?”

Grogu answers, signing a little slower than he usually does so Luke can follow along. Luke manages to parse what he’s saying and grins.

“Now that does sound fun.”

Din watches in awe as Grogu and Luke carry a conversation all on their own. Boba sidles up next to him, voice pitched low between them.

“He’s certainly interesting.”

“Yeah… yeah, he is.”

“Oh, before I forget!” Luke takes the wine out from under his arm, presenting it to Din. “I, uh, I don’t know if anyone else drinks Merlot but –”

Boba barks an amused laugh, slapping Din on the back. “You two were made for each other.”

Din’s cheeks turn ruddy, eyes averted to the floor.

Luke looks to Greef for an explanation. “Din and Fennec are the only ones who drink Merlot. The rest of us are white wine folk.”

“An’ cocktails!” Cobb yells, raising his half-finished blue concoction as evidence.

“And cocktails,” Greef adds with a roll of his eyes.

“Oh…” Luke wilts. “Whoops.”

“No, it’s fine,” Din assures him, taking the proffered wine bottle. Their fingers brush and Luke bites his bottom lip at the small _zing_ the contact creates.

Din’s gaze dips to his lips before meeting Luke’s eyes again.

Luke could have probably stood there and stared for an eternity if the timer didn’t go off on Din’s phone.

“Ah,” he says, breaking their staring match to turn back to the stove.

Luke clears his throat, praying no one notices his burning cheeks as he watches Din slip on some oven mitts and takes something out of the oven. It’s lasagna, the cheese perfectly brown and crispy on top.

Luke smiles because he knows Din knows it’s one of his favourites.

Din lays it down on the stovetop to cool for a little, shucking off the oven mitts and grabbing a large bowl of salad.

“Could you bring the wine?” he asks as he starts for the dining table.

Luke nods, grabbing it and the two empty glasses that were next to it.

Din smiles and Luke’s heart stops just a little.

It’s then that Cara and Aurora finally make their entrance, the two women entering hand-in-hand.

“Everyone!” Cara calls out, grabbing everyone’s attention.

Din’s gaze turns to the two women and his smile immediately drops.

“This is –”

_CRASH!_

Everyone startles, staring at the broken glass bowl at Din’s feet. Salad dressing is spreading rapidly across the floor, but Din only has eyes for Cara’s date.

“Aurora?” he whispers.

Aurora frowns, looking to Cara a moment before settling back onto Din.

“Yes, how do you –” recognition flutters across her face. A hand comes to cover her mouth in a small gasp. “Din? Din Djarin?”

Din nods, empty hands flexing and curling.

“Um… anyone care to explain?” Cara asks looking worriedly between her date and Din.

“Aurora was an assistant caretaker at the orphanage I grew up in.”

Luke’s breath falters because _orphanage? Din grew up in an orphanage?_

Peli abruptly stands, cocktail still in hand. “Maybe we should go?” she suggests.

Din finally tears his gaze away from Aurora, shaking his head. “No, no. Everyone, feel free to stay it’s just – it’s been –”

“Eighteen years,” Aurora finishes for him. “Give or take.”

“Right…” Peli says. She takes a large gulp of her cocktail before beginning to herd everyone towards the dining table.

Din looks down in confusion when he realises he’s no longer holding the salad bowl.

“I’ll get the broom,” Cara says, walking towards the storage closet in the entry hall.

Luke gently takes Din by the biceps, helping him step away from the puddle of glass and wilting lettuce leaves.

“Din,” he whispers, coming round so they’re face to face. “You okay?”

Din nods, hands still curling and flexing. “Yeah, I… it’s just… it feels like I’m seeing a ghost.”

Luke nods, not knowing what else to say. Cara with the help of Fennec cleans up the mess of glass and ruined salad, throwing it all in the bin. Boba brings the lasagna to the table while Luke guides Din to his usual seat at the head of the table.

Luke and Cara share a look as Cara settles down next to Aurora a few seats away. Luke takes Din’s right, the left-hand side open for Grogu.

Luke suddenly realises he hasn’t seen any sign of the kid since Aurora entered. It’s like he’s summoned out of thin air as he approaches Aurora where’s she’s seated two down from Luke, Cara between them.

He greets her with a wave, introducing himself and asking what her name is by signing.

To Luke’s surprise, Aurora smiles and easily signs back. Grogu grins, signing something too fast for Luke to decipher before scampering over to his father and taking his usual seat.

“You know sign language?” Luke asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

“I do,” Aurora says.

“Aurora’s the one who taught me,” Din adds quietly.

Aurora offers him a wobbly smile. “You were always such a fast learner.”

Silence descends upon the table, awkwardness aplenty as people start quietly serving themselves.

Din and Aurora keep sharing looks across the table, Cara shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

It’s Grogu who breaks the silence, signing something to Din.

Din offers his son a small smile, saying, “Yes. I was at an orphanage too. Aurora looked after me and my friends.”

“More like tried to keep you lot out of trouble. Paz was a horrible influence,” Aurora speaks up.

Din releases a half-hearted chuckle, nodding along. “He was. Didn’t stop us from trying to imitate him though.”

“What was that poor boy’s name? The one who got stuck in the tree trying to out climb Paz?”

Din scratches his cheek as he thinks. His eyes brighten when he remembers. “Danny.”

“Yes, Danny!” Aurora cries, smiling now.

“Poor kid was trying so hard to impress Paz and the older boys, nearly climbed all the way to the top of that tree before he remembered he was afraid of heights,” Din says.

“I was busy panicking trying to find the ladder and before I know it, you’re scampering up the tree and helping him climb down.”

Din nods, chuckling properly now at the memory. “Yeah… God, feels like a lifetime ago.”

Aurora smiles, eyes softening. “You’ve always been a protector, Din.”

Din simply nods again.

“So, you adopted Grogu?” Aurora asks, conversation flowing a little easier now as everyone digs into supper.

“I did,” Din says. “I wanted to give him the chance I didn’t get.”

Aurora looks between the son and father, Grogu beaming up at Din adoringly.

“I’m proud of you, Din. Cara’s told me about your accomplishments. You’ve really made a life for yourself.”

“It’s no–”

“It’s not nothing, knucklehead,” Cara finally speaks up. “You’ve done well. Accept a little praise once in a while.”

Din doesn’t agree but he doesn’t argue with her statement either, the two of them sharing a private smile that only they would understand.

With all the tension gone, other conversations start to bloom, Peli’s voice carrying well over everyone else’s as she recounts the story of another troublesome customer.

Greef who was seated next to Grogu eyes Luke and Din a moment before speaking up. “So, Luke, Cara showed me this very interesting video of you and Din –”

Cara bursts out cackling, Din hanging his head in his hands with a groan.

“Goddammit, Dune!”

*

People don’t hover once dinner is over. Luke helps Fennec with the dishes, the two of them finishing off their glasses of Merlot while the others argue over who gets to take the leftovers home. Fennec even compliments him on his choice of wine for the evening.

“This lot aren’t cultured,” she says, shaking her head in admonishment while Cobb and Koska arm wrestle for the last of the leftovers. If Luke didn’t know any better he’d think she was making a joke.

Everyone starts to file out, all of them thanking Din for dinner and telling Luke they look forward to seeing him next Sunday. Cobb offers him a sneaky wink, saying, “I wouldn’t mind seeing you in those Chanel boots again,” only to have Bo-Katan slap him upside the head.

Luke laughs, saying he’ll take that into consideration.

Cara and Aurora are the last to leave, Din and Aurora talking outside on the back porch while Cara and Luke look after Grogu. He’s starting to nod off where he’s resting against Luke’s shoulder, hugging Luke’s arm like it’s his favourite plushie and pulling funny faces while he sleeps.

Cara is watching Din and Aurora, a small knot forming between her brows.

“Did you know?” Luke asks.

“Hm?” Cara blinks, looking at Luke like she’s just realized he’s here even though they’ve been sitting together for a good half hour.

“Did you know about Din?” Luke explains.

Cara nods, hands rubbing absentmindedly against her jeans. “Yeah, I did. He... he recognized that I’d lost the same way he had. He brought me out of a bad headspace. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Luke murmurs.

Cara shrugs. “It was a long time ago now. I’m healing, that’s what matters.”

“Aurora seems lovely,” Luke says, hoping to lighten the mood slightly. “How did you guys meet?”

“She beat my ass in judo,” Cara says with a dreamy sigh.

“How romantic,” Luke snarks.

Cara flicks his temple, careful not to disturb Grogu. “Shut up, if you saw Din in action you’d be falling all over him.”

“I’m already falling all over him,” Luke admits with a sigh of his own.

Cara snorts. “Yeah, you ain’t subtle.”

“I kissed his cheek before he left Friday night,” Luke admits.

Cara’s lips purse, eyes narrowing. “Did he like it?”

Luke’s about to hang his head in his hands but remembers Grogu is sleeping on him, so he scrubs a hand through his hair instead. “I don’t know... He seemed a little shocked.”

“Sounds about right.”

“He told me he’s ace,” Luke continues. “Is he kiss-averse? I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”

Cara shakes her head. “Nah, he’s okay with kissing. It’s just... it’s been a while since he was in a relationship. His last one... it didn’t end well.”

“Oh...”

“It’s something he’ll talk about when he’s ready,” Cara adds. The warning is clear.

“I wouldn’t want to push him, especially with something as personal as that,” Luke assures her.

“Good. Cause if you break his heart, I will beat you to a pulp.” Cara punches a fist into her open palm, smiling serenely at him.

Luke winces. “Duly noted.”

“Oh dear, is Cara threatening you?” Aurora and Din appear in front of them, Aurora sending Cara a look like this is something that tends to happen often.

Din’s got an indecipherable look on his face as he takes in Grogu drooling on Luke’s shoulder.

“Well, I think we’ll get out of your hair,” Cara says, standing up. While Din walks them to the door, Luke shifts a bit to gather Grogu in his arms and stand without disturbing his rest. He’s made it to the hallway when Din comes back.

“I can take him from you?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Luke assures him in a hushed whisper. He smiles down at Grogu, holding him a little closer. “I can manage.”

That indecipherable look is back, Din’s hands flexing at his sides before he nods.

“Right… I’ll show you to his room.”

They head upstairs, Luke careful not to jostle Grogu too much.

There’s a bathroom and two bedrooms upstairs. Grogu’s walls are painted a light green, his bed overflowing with pillows and toys. Din moves them out of the way, pulling back the duvet so Luke can tuck him in.

Din presses a gentle kiss to Grogu’s head once he’s settled, Luke shutting his door quietly behind them.

“So…” Luke says, rocking a bit on the balls of his feet.

Din slides his hands into his jean pockets, socked foot scuffing the floor. “So…”

“I guess I should –”

“Can we talk a bit? Oh… Uh,” Din rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, if you need to –”

“No, no I can stay. I’d like to. Talk, that is,” Luke says, wincing at his stammering.

Din releases a shaky breath, nodding. “Right. Uh… let’s,” he points to his room at the end of the hall, Luke nodding and following behind him. Din closes the door before switching on his bedside lamp.

His room is slightly larger than Grogu’s, with a double bed and a bookshelf filled with books ranging from fantasy to biographies to mechanic instruction manuals. It has its own en suite bathroom and a rather spacious wardrobe. There’s also a floating shelf where black belts for different martial arts have been laid out along with a few medals and trophies and even some newspaper clippings that have been framed.

“Is that you?” Luke asks, pointing to the teenager who’s been caught mid-roundhouse kick.

Din nods. “That’s me.” He’s standing with his hands still in his pockets, watching Luke as he peruses the room.

Besides the trophy shelf and a photo of Din and Grogu on the bedside table, the room is lacking a bit in personal touches.

If Luke looks out the window he can see Din’s back garden now bathed in moonlight. There’s a quiet creak and when Luke turns it’s to see Din seated on the edge of his mattress.

Not wanting to encroach on his space, Luke leans back against the windowsill. “So, you wanted to talk?”

“Yeah, I did,” Din says. His voice wavers slightly. He leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs as he rubs his hands together nervously. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve had to tell this story.”

“You don’t have to if –”

“No, I want to,” Din assures him. “I just… you might have noticed words aren’t my forte.”

Luke chuckles. “Yeah, I did. But it’s okay. Take your time.”

Din nods. “Right… Pretty much, my parents died in a gas leak explosion. We were living in one of those apartment complexes in the Outer Rim district and you know what they’re like.”

“Cutting corners where they shouldn’t,” Luke says. Leia had talked about it often leading up to her becoming a senator and it was one of the first projects she started to see through, rather successfully at that.

“So. Because they moved here from Aq Vetina, I didn’t have any immediate family, so I was admitted to the orphanage on Nevarro street where Aurora worked.”

“How old were you?” Luke asks.

“Ten, more or less,” Din answers. “I was never adopted. I lived there for eight years, getting to know the staff and the other kids who were never picked like me, the ones who aged out of the system. The people who ran the place cared, they really did, but the orphanage was constantly in need of funds that the senate refused to give. So, when I started winning bigger competitions for martial arts, I started donating my winnings to the orphanage.”

Luke’s heart aches. Aurora was right, Din was a protector. He was a teenager, fourteen, maybe fifteen, and already he was thinking about others, using his money to fund the orphanage where the senate failed to help.

“With my experience, it was pretty easy to get into security work. I just had to complete a course to get the license which I mostly paid for myself. It helped that Kuill, my dojo master, knew a few people in that field. After I aged out, I – I needed to look after myself. I couldn’t keep supporting the orphanage and supporting myself at the same time.”

Din takes in a shaky breath, the line of his shoulders tense. He hangs his head low, fingers scrubbing through his hair.

Carefully, Luke approaches him, sitting down with a bit of space still between them. His hand hovers over Din’s back and when he’s given a small nod, he lays it gently between his shoulder blades, rubbing soothing circles there.

“The Senate failed you,” Luke murmurs. “You shouldn’t have had to support the orphanage, you had no obligation to, but you did it anyway. And that’s very noble of you.”

“I should have done more,” Din whispers, shaking his head. “I just… I stopped visiting, stopped answering Aurora’s calls. I should have –”

“You needed to look after yourself,” Luke assures him quietly.

Din lets out a wet laugh. “Aurora said the exact same thing.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t blame you.”

“She doesn’t. It’s what we were talking about, out on the porch.”

Luke hums. It was obvious Din really cared for her, that Aurora was a big part of his life growing up there. In a way, maybe, she was his family. And if Luke has learned anything over the last three months it’s that family means everything to Din.”

“I’m glad you could get some closure,” Luke says.

Din nods. He sits up, rolling his shoulders back with a sigh. “Me too. It was good… seeing her. She… she helped me a lot when others thought I was a lost cause.”

Luke rests his hand on Din’s shoulder, thumb swiping in gentle motions. Din leans into the motion, the space between them growing smaller.

“Did I ever tell you how Grogu and I met?” Din suddenly asks.

Luke shakes his head, interest piqued.

“The company was doing pretty okay, and I’d recently ended a… a bad relationship,” Din starts. “Somehow it got me thinking about the orphanage, about how me and so many other kids never got the chance to have a family growing up. And before I knew it, I was looking up places and driving down with my car, no appointment, just showing up and asking if I could take a look around. The head of the place showed me a room where a bunch of kids were playing and they’re talking but I’m not really listening. And all of a sudden, I feel something tap my shoe.

“I look down and it’s this little silver ball.” Din grins slightly. “I’ve just kneeled down to pick it up when this kid comes tumbling towards me, nearly knocking our foreheads together he’s in such a rush to get his ball back. He’s a little shy and worried when I pick it up. I could tell it was important to him. So, I offered it to him, and we met eyes and… I dunno I just… I saw a piece of myself in him. He took the ball, smiled, and waddled off and I just knew I wanted to help him.

“Of course, the head of the place talks about how he’s a problem child, about how he doesn’t speak but I didn’t care. I just… I knew.” Din shrugs, finally meeting Luke’s eyes with a wobbly smile.

Luke returns it, giving Din’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I’m really happy you found each other.”

“Me too,” Din says. “Grogu, he – he’s helped me in ways he’ll probably never understand. To have someone love you so unconditionally… it was a lot at first. And he was trouble,” Din shakes his head with another chuckle, “Boy was he trouble.”

Luke grins. “Oh, I know.”

They both laugh, Luke drinking in the sight of Din bathed in the pale moonlight. His eyes were nearly black, his jawline sharper, smile somehow softer. He was beautiful.

“Um, you don’t – you don’t have to answer this,” Luke says. He drops his hand from Din’s shoulder, immediately missing his warmth. “But um… Cara also mentioned that you were in a… bad relationship and I guess I just… I just want to apologize if I overstepped any boundaries with the kiss on Friday –”

Din raises a hand, stopping Luke before he can get lost in his nervous rambling.

“It’s alright,” Din says. He cups his chin, eyes growing a little dimmer as he thinks on his words. “It was… well two years ago now, just before I adopted Grogu. I was dating this woman Xi’an for a long time. She – she was feisty, didn’t take no for an answer. She didn’t believe me when I told her I was ace. She said I just hadn’t been treated right. That she could change that.”

Luke’s blood runs cold. “Din…”

“She knew I could fight so she had this whole plan to get me to drink some wine beforehand that she spiked. I caught wind early on about what she’d done. I was able to fend her off, but just barely. I subdued her, got out of there and called Cara before I blacked out.”

Din’s voice lost all its warmth from moments ago. It was monotone, almost like he was speaking about someone else. He gives himself a little shake, hands dragging down his face as he releases a shaky breath.

“After that I just… I couldn’t trust anyone new.”

Luke scrubs a hand through his hair, trying to wrap his head around how someone could do such a thing, betray someone’s trust so deeply and for what? How could anyone possibly think that such actions were justified?

“I’m sorry,” Luke says, words shaky. “I really should have asked before I just kissed you –”

“It’s okay. I would have said yes.”

Luke stops breathing. He lowers his hands, turning slowly to find Din already watching him. The warmth in his eyes is back, the glassiness while talking about Xi’an melting away.

“You… you would have?” Luke asked.

Din’s cheeks turn that lovely dusty rose, a hand scrubbing through his already messy curls. “Yeah, I would have.”

Luke is stunned into silence which is a first. You can ask Leia, she’ll vouch for that statement. It’s just that for the last three months Luke has been thinking himself into circles about Din. About whether it's moral to want to date your student’s parent, worrying about losing Din as a friend with the weekly dinners and the cute texts and comfortable shared silences.

Never in all that time did he stop to consider that Din might actually like him back.

“Luke? You okay?”

“Yeah, I just… you… you like me?”

Din releases a nervous chuckle, nodding. “Yeah, I do. Do… do you like me?”

Luke’s already nodding before Din’s even finished his sentence. “Yes. I do. A lot, actually.”

“Good,” Din replies in shock. “That’s… that’s good.”

“Good,” Luke mirrors, unable to bite back his no doubt goofy grin. Tonight has been a little hectic, a full-on rollercoaster of emotions if you will, from Aurora to Din opening up about his past and now a confession? It was… well, to put it plainly, it was _a lot._

At that thought, Luke finally remembers to check his phone and clicks his tongue when he sees how late it’s gotten. Tomorrow is a school day and he still has to drive a half hour in the dark to get back to his apartment.

With a groan, he stands, pocketing his phone and patting himself down for his keys.

“It’s pretty late,” Din says.

“Yeah, it is. Have you seen my –”

“Would you like to stay over?”

Luke freezes. His heart literally stops. He couldn’t have heard that right. He must be daydreaming due to fatigue.

“C-come again?”

Din’s still tugging at his sweater sleeves, but he refuses to drop his gaze – warm brown eyes watching Luke with the tiniest quirk to his lips.

“You heard me.”

“Yeah, I did, but I think I might be hallucinating so could you just repeat that?” Luke says, words tumbling from his mouth in confusion.

Din chuckles, biting his bottom lip and _oh dear, that’s distracting._

“I asked if you’d like to stay the night, seeing as it’s late and a far drive for you.”

“Okay, cool, so I’m not dreaming. Thanks for the clarification,” Luke says, nodding with a slight furrow to his brow.

“I can take the couch if that would make you more comfortable?” Din suggests.

Luke finally manages to pull himself together, shaking his head. “No, I wouldn’t want to kick you out of your own bed!”

Din shrugs. “I really don’t mind.”

Luke eyes Din, then the bed he’s sitting on. It’s a double, meaning there was plenty of space for the two of them to sleep comfortably without having to worry about encroaching on each other’s space. Plus, it might be nice, getting to wake up beside Din…

“No,” Luke finally says, meeting Din’s eyes with a shy smile. “You can stay. I want you to.”

The apples of Din’s cheeks turn that lovely dusty rose. Luke wants to kiss him so badly so instead he asks, “Would I be able to borrow some pyjamas?”

Din blinks a couple of times then nods, springing up from where he’d been seated on the mattress and going to his wardrobe. “Right, of course. I might have something that’ll fit you.”

Luke snorts, sitting on the edge of the mattress so he can take off his sneakers. “You’re not that much taller than me.”

“Ah, but I have more muscle,” Din counters as he digs through a collection of faded T-shirts. He decides on a grey one, tossing it onto the bed for Luke.

Luke shucks his cropped jacket off with a huff. “You’re not that much buffer than me.”

Din throws Luke a _look_ over his shoulder, brows raised in question, eyes scanning Luke up and down as if searching for said muscles.

“You really want to compare muscle mass?” Din asks. “With a professional bodyguard?”

“Ex-military,” Luke says, pointing at his chest. “Plus, I’m really into yoga.”

Din’s eyes widen even further. Luke grins, shooting him a wink only to have a pair of sweatpants thrown at his face.

“You can change in the en suite,” Din says, nodding to the bathroom door. He’s unable to hide his smirk at Luke’s mock-grumbling about getting a face full of sweatpants for his frankly 10/10 flirting skills.

Luke shuts the door, giving himself a moment to really let the situation sink in.

So… Din confessed and so did Luke and now he’s sleeping over.

Cool. No big deal except it kinda is, but he’s trying not to think too hard on it or might explode.

Luke slips out of his jacket and turtleneck, changing into the shirt Din gave him. It’s soft, a little stretched out and smells a bit like Din’s cologne – spicy but not overwhelming.

Once he’s changed into Din’s clothes, he gives himself a once-over in the mirror. The sweatpants are too big even though he’s got the drawstrings tied as tight as possible, slipping slightly down his narrow hips. The shirt is also maybe two sizes too large, the neck gaping and showing more of his collarbones than is probably decent but there’s nothing he can really do about that.

When he comes out of the bathroom it’s to see Din already in bed scrolling through his phone. He’s changed out his sweater for a T-shirt with a chameleon wearing a rainbow scarf and brandishing a knife that says “Try me. I’m queer and tired.” His tattoos are also on full display and Luke is shocked when he sees they don’t stop at his forearms, oh no. They seem to go all the way up to his shoulders underneath the short sleeves of his T-shirt and if he angles his head just right, he can see a few lines peeking out of the collar of his shirt too.

Din must feel his eyes on him as he looks up from his phone. His mouth parts slightly upon seeing Luke.

Luke can feel his cheeks burning, his blush creeping down his neck onto his collarbones which, he just realises, are visible thanks to Din’s t-shirt being too big.

Luke silently curses Din’s muscles as he moves around the room, placing his folded-up clothes along with his sneakers to one side before hopping under the covers.

It’s been a while since Luke has shared a bed with anyone. With previous partners, it always felt a little awkward, like two friends sharing a bed for the first time at a sleepover. Over the last two years Luke’s gotten used to having a double bed all to himself (well, with Artoo taking up the middle like the blanket hog he is). And sure, it’s a little awkward at first now as Din and Luke try to get comfortable, but he doesn’t feel unwelcomed or too out of place as he watches Din switch the bedside lamp off and turn to face him. His dark head of curls fan out on the pillow, eyes finding Luke’s even in the darkness of the room.

“Hey,” Din whispers.

“Hi,” Luke replies, offering him a shy smile.

“I um…” Din clears his throat, shuffling a bit to make himself more comfortable under the weight of the duvet. “I just wanted to double-check, after all of that, if we’re um…”

“Dating?” Luke finishes for him, smiling at seeing a flustered Din. It’s rather adorable.

Din releases an embarrassed chuckle, nodding. “Yeah, that.”

“Well, I’d like to,” Luke says. “Make it official, that is. If you’re okay with that?”

“More than okay,” Din assures him.

Luke grins, snuggling into his pillow. “Good. I’m glad.”

“Me too,” Din whispers.

They just watch each other a moment, breathing in each other before Luke speaks again.

“I just also want you to know that I don’t ever want you to feel pressured to do something you don’t want to do just to make me happy. So, if you’re uncomfortable with something or we’re going too fast, please tell me?”

Din’s hands curl in the sheets between them, the material crinkling. He nods. “I will. That… that means a lot to me.”

“Well, I mean it,” Luke says. “You deserve to have your boundaries respected.”

“And it’s okay if we take things slow?”

“More than okay. We can go at your pace,” Luke assures him. He smiles into his pillow. “I wouldn’t mind something a little slow-paced anyway. It’s – it’s been a while since I’ve been in a proper relationship with someone.”

“How long?”

Luke purses his lips, trying to do the maths in his head. “Oh, geez since my first year out of college so that would be… nearly two years now wow. Time flies.”

“And you’re okay with… with the whole me being ace thing?” Din asks nervously.

Luke can’t help it; he can feel his heart breaking for this man before him. This man whose trust was irreparably broken and yet he was willing to put it out on the line again, willing to lay his beating heart in Luke’s hands and trust him not to strangle it.

“I’ll admit I’ve never dated someone on the ace spectrum,” Luke says, choosing his words carefully, “But I don’t see you as any less because you’re ace. I like you because you’re an amazing person, not because of what you can give me sexually.”

Din’s watching him with that same indecipherable look from before only now that they’ve confessed their feelings, Luke maybe finally understands what it might mean.

“That’s… a relief,” Din admits on a whisper, fingers curling tighter in the sheets. He’s all sharp contours and soft eyes in the dimly lit room. Luke reaches out, hand lightly resting on Din’s.

“Like I said, we go at your pace,” Luke reminds him.

Din considers him a moment before shifting their hands so that their fingers can intertwine. His palms are calloused and warm, hand a little larger than Luke’s. Just when he thinks this moment can’t get any better, Din goes one step further by bringing the back of Luke’s hand to his mouth and pressing a chaste kiss there. His lips are warm and a little chapped.

Yeah, there’s no way Luke’s gonna get any sleep tonight.

*

Luke wakes up to the sound of his phone alarm and a heavy weight on his chest.

His eyes flutter open, blinking back against the sunlight leaking through the window. He’d forgotten to close the curtains the night before.

He reaches for his phone, trying to make the irritating noise stop when something tightens around his waist.

Luke finally looks down to see Din sleeping with his head resting just above Luke’s heart, an arm wrapped tightly around his waist. Luke can’t help but smile, remembering Grogu the night before who’d also clung to Luke in his sleep. Like father like son, it seemed.

“Din?” Luke whispers, combing his fingers through Din’s hair. “Hon, we gotta get up.”

Din grumbles, mumbling something unintelligible into Luke’s chest as he snuggles closer.

Luke bites his bottom lip, trying to contain his reaction because this really is too adorable.

His alarm eventually stops, the timer on the screen warning him it’s going to ring again in five minutes.

Luke would love to just lay here and bask in this moment for those extra five minutes but the thought of being late for school unfortunately wins out.

“Din? Diiiiiiiin,” Luke sings, playing with Din’s hair as he whispers into his ear, “Din. We gotta get up.”

Din’s face scrunches up, nose wrinkling before his eyes slowly flutter open. He squints against the sunlight shining directly in his face before looking up at Luke.

“Oh. Hey.”

Luke chuckles. “Hey yourself.”

Din, Luke realises with great endearment, must not be a morning person. He moves sluggishly, still pulling that cute scrunched up face from being woken up.

“Wha time’s it?” he mumbles as he rubs from his eyes.

“Time to get up,” Luke says, grinning stupidly as he watches Din sit up. His hair’s a mess with cowlicks sticking up everywhere, his moustache smooshed on one side. It’s really far too adorable for Luke’s heart to handle.

Din scrubs his hands down his face, giving himself a little shake before blinking blearily at Luke. His brain must finally catch up because his eyes widen in realization.

“Oh… I’m sorry did I –”

“Snuggle me like an octopus?” Luke finishes. “Yes. But I didn’t mind. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Right… So, I wasn’t dreaming when we –”

“Confessed? No, thankfully.”

Din’s lips tilt into a smile. “Yeah, thankfully.”

They probably could have stayed like that, staring at one another with giddy grins, if Grogu didn’t come barging in, no doubt wondering what’s taking his father so long to wake up. His eyes widen when he sees Luke, hands racing. Luke doesn’t pick up all the words, but he gets the general gist of “What are you still doing here?”

“Your dad and I had a sleepover,” Luke starts to sign then realises he doesn’t know the sign for sleepover. Din shows it to him, and Luke copies him, a little clumsy around the new word.

Grogu pouts, signing something at Din. Din chuckles. Luke frowns, asking what he said.

“He’s upset he wasn’t asked to join,” Din translates.

Luke tries to hide his amusement behind his hand but by Grogu’s deepening pout he guesses he’s not doing a very good job of it.

“Next time we can all have a sleepover, sound good?” Luke asks, using his new word he’s just learned with a little more precision.

All seems forgiven as Grogu instantly lights up, nodding emphatically.

Din arches a thick brow, lips curling in amusement. “Next time?”

Luke bites his bottom lip. “Uh… That is if you’d like there to be?”

Din doesn’t say anything for a moment. Luke’s beginning to worry if he might have overstepped a line when Din leans in and places a kiss on his cheek.

“I would,” he whispers into Luke’s ear before pulling away.

Luke can feel his blush creeping down his neck as Din gets up, hoisting Grogu in his arms and saying, “We’ll see you downstairs for breakfast.”

Luke hides his burning face in his hands, toes curling as he smiles a mile wide.

He could get used to this.

*

Luke offers to drive Grogu to school. “We’re both headed that way anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Din asks. He’s changed into a navy-blue suit with a black button-down. With the weather cooling, he’s layered it with a black coat and a scarf to fend off the oncoming winter chill.

“More than,” Luke assures him. He’s changed back into his clothes from the day before. It wasn’t his usual look for school but today would just have to be the exception. If it meant getting to come downstairs to see Din making French toast in the kitchen, shirt rumbled and hair a mess all the while humming a low tune, then it was more than worth it.

They switch Grogu’s booster seat into the back of Luke’s car, Luke double-checking Grogu has all he needs in his backpack and buckling him in while Din locks up the house.

“Alrighty, you’re all set,” Luke says, smiling down at Grogu. He offers Luke a beaming grin, signing something that makes Luke blush slightly.

“Luke?”

Luke coughs, straightening up. “Yeah?”

At the exact moment he turns, he feels the light pressure of lips pressing against the corner of his mouth.

Din offers him a gentle smile and a “Drive safe.”

“Y-you too,” Luke stammers out, watching as Din places his helmet on his head and starts up his motorbike.

He’s stunned, standing there staring long after Din’s disappeared into the distance. He’s so stunned, in fact, that it takes Grogu tapping on the glass of his door’s window to get Luke to come back down to earth and start up the car before they’re both late.

*

It’s safe to say Luke’s a little… _distracted_ during the school day.

Ahsoka asks if he’s alright during recess, the kids playing outside and allowing Luke, Ahsoka and the other teachers some reprieve in the teacher’s lounge. He and Ahsoka are sharing the oversized beanbag, sipping on their usual cups of hot chocolate.

Luke clutches his mug like it’s a lifeline, saying, “I’m fine,” even though his mind is still reeling. He keeps replaying Din’s confession on repeat. Din with bed head. Din kissing him and telling him to drive safe.

Ahsoka must have mind powers or something because her lips tilt into an all-knowing grin.

“How’s Din?” she asks, oh so casually.

Luke tries (and fails) to hide his blush behind the rim of his mug as he mumbles that’s he’s good.

As if knowing he was being talked about, Luke’s phone goes off with a message notification.

Luke scrambles for his phone, reluctantly standing up from his comfy spot on the beanbag chair to put some space between him and a nosy Ahsoka who he knows will try and sneak a peek over his shoulder.

Just as he thought, it’s a message from Din.

**Din Djarin:** _Hey, just double-checking you’re still okay to bring Grogu home after school?_

**Luke Skywalker:** _Hey! Yeah, it’s no problem at all. Your last meeting ends at three right?_

**Din Djarin:** _Yes, it does. Thanks again. I really appreciate it._

**Luke Skywalker:** _You’re more than welcome! See you later ;)_

**Din Djarin:** _Thank you. See you later ❤_

Luke clutches his phone to his chest, holding back the excited squeak seeing that little heart emoji brought about.

“Ooooooh, a heart emoji. Must be serious.”

Luke startles, finding a smirking Ahsoka hovering over his shoulder.

“You need a bell,” Luke mutters darkly.

“And you’ve got yourself a booooyfriiieeend,” Ahsoka sings, poking Luke in the ribs playfully.

“Skywalker’s got a boyfriend?” one of the other teachers ask far too loudly so of course, the entire room turns to look at Luke. He’s immediately bombarded with questions.

“Where’d you two meet?”

“How long has this been going on?”

“Is he that hot single dad I’ve been hearing about?”

Luke’s cheeks erupt in flames, but his gaze is ice cold when he stares Ahsoka down.

_“Look what you’ve done.”_

To her credit, Ahsoka does look regretful. She mouths “I’m sorry” to Luke, sipping on her hot chocolate noisily while the questions keep rolling in.

*

Din’s a little bit of a mess at work and it seems that everyone’s noticed.

What’s worse is that they also all seem to know who’s to blame for their boss’s sudden incompetence. More than once Bo-Katan has had to step in to remind Din about an upcoming meeting, Koska, always hovering at her side, snorting while Din frantically puts together whatever he needs before a client comes sashaying through the door.

Lunch couldn’t come soon enough. Din’s dying for a fresh cup of tea. He’s just finalized a schedule for a new client when Cara waltzes through the door, steaming mug of tea in hand.

“Thank you,” Din mumbles into his mug with a heavy sigh. It’s rooibos with cinnamon, his favourite.

Cara settles down in the seat across from him, kicking her feet up onto his table and crossing them at the ankle. Din has long since given up on trying to get Cara to keep her feet off his desk.

“Sooo,” Cara says, trying for casual. Din can see it from a mile away, already knowing where this conversation was going.

“What all went down after Aurora and I left?”

Din places his mug down, fingers tapping against the porcelain. It has the words “Certified Himbo” across it. It was a gag gift from Cara last Christmas. He still resents the fact that he’s apparently considered a himbo by all his friends but like with Cara putting her feet on his desk, he’s sort of just accepted their opinion and just silently disagrees with it.

“Not much,” Din starts. “We put Grogu to bed and we talked a bit.”

“Yeah?” Cara says, making a “go on” gesture with her hand.

Din scratches his cheek, staring down at his tea as he says, “I told him about Xi’an.”

Cara drops her feet to the floor, leaning forward in her seat. “You did?”

Din nods. “Yeah…”

Cara waits for him to continue. When he doesn’t, she prompts him, asking gently, “What did he have to say?”

“He apologized for kissing my cheek without asking,” Din says. He’s unable to hide the small smile the memory brings to him. Din hasn’t dated much. It’s rare for him to catch feelings without really getting to know the person. After Xi’an, he’d put up even higher walls, refusing to open himself up in fear of getting hurt again.

And then he met Luke. Luke, who didn’t try to tear his walls down but instead sat down and waited patiently for Din to open a door between them, who was more than fine with sitting and talking back-to-back against those walls, getting to know Din and assuring him that he doesn’t ever have to tear his walls down if he doesn’t want to.

But recently, Din’s found he wants to. He really, really wants to. And it’s scary, wanting to open himself up again to someone. Luke isn’t Xi’an. Cara had said as much, and Din knew she was right. Luke was far from conniving and manipulative. He was gentle and patient, willing to go at Din’s pace, willing to respect his boundaries.

It almost seemed too good to be true.

“And he might have slept over,” Din finishes, offering Cara a shy, pleased smile.

“DUDE!” Cara jumps up from her chair, rounding his desk to punch his bicep hard enough to bruise. “That’s amazing!”

Din chuckles at his friend’s enthusiasm, memories of that morning flooding him. Of waking up with Luke, sunlight leaking through the window and creating a halo around him. He shone all over – wheatfield hair, golden skin, the lightest smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose that Din had desperately wanted to kiss.

He’d looked so beautiful and the idea of getting to wake up again and again to that sight was far too tempting.

He’s brought back to reality when Cara clicks her fingers in front of his face, trying to get his attention.

She’s standing with her arms crossed, grinning like the cat who got the cream. “Oh, you’re so gone for him. It’s kinda gross.”

“You don’t get to talk when you spent the whole of dessert making goo-goo eyes at Aurora,” Din counters.

Cara huffs, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her red-tipped ears. “She’s my girlfriend, I am allowed to look at her adoringly.”

Din shakes his head in mock-admonishment. “You’re going soft.”

“And you’re not far behind,” Cara replies.

Din can’t argue with that, so he sips on his tea and asks how’s Aurora is doing, smiling the entire time while Cara begins to wax poetic about her girlfriend.

*

Din arrives home to find Luke and Grogu doing homework in the lounge.

It feels so natural to find the two of them sitting on the carpet. Both of their heads pop up when they hear Din’s footsteps, Grogu running towards Din and slamming into his legs for a hug while Luke smiles at him where’s he’s seated with an elbow on the table, head in hand.

“Welcome home,” Luke says.

Din offers a shy smile, hand scrubbing through Grogu’s curls.

_Home… I could get used to that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Aurora is The Armourer I'm so clever when it comes to names aren't I?
> 
> Luke's outfit was inspired by [this](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ff/b8/89/ffb8892f3a4476fd83f8992a11634c40.jpg) and [ this](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0b/ef/fd/0beffd9a7af114bc2ed43b37e61f3f83.jpg)
> 
> And [here](https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Hdcc80e14aa5c4e868f8979f4be9cb385e/Try-Me-I-m-Queer-and-Tired-T-Shirt-Funny-Gay-Pride-Shirt-Lesbian-Rainbow-Lgbt.jpg_q50.jpg) is Din's sleep shirt which was too perfect not to include a pic of


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As if reading his thoughts, Luke goes up on his tiptoes slightly, hovering barely an inch away, allowing Din to choose whether or not to close the gap.
> 
> He wants to. He desperately wants to and it terrifies him a little.
> 
> _We can go at your pace._
> 
> _I never want you to feel pressured._
> 
> Releasing a shaky sigh, Din leans in, closing the gap between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! The last chapter. Somehow this fic became a Christmas fic smh but all well I had a lot of fun writing this last one. Thank you for all the lovely comments, it seriously makes my day!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Over the next few weeks, a routine begins to build. The school week stays mostly the same, with Din dropping Grogu off and his friends picking Grogu up when he can’t. Fridays Luke will come over for dinner. Sometimes Din cooks, other times they order in, and on special occasions, they go out to a restaurant, but they always end up coming back to Din’s to watch a movie and eat cookies with milk for dessert. Saturdays Luke will either pop in during late morning with Cinnabon for breakfast or take them on a surprise outing, introducing Din to some of his favourite cafés in the city and the park he likes to walk through when it’s autumn because it looks like everything is on fire with how vibrant the leaves become. They talk about having picnics when the weather warms up while standing in line for tickets to the movie theater and listen to each other’s Spotify playlists on the car drives home.

Sometimes Din and Luke will go out just the two of them, Cara babysitting Grogu so they can have some “Much needed alone time” (Cara’s words, not theirs). And while it’s greatly appreciated, Luke is more than happy for Grogu to join them on their outings. Luke loves spending time with Grogu, loves treating him to ice cream and piggybacking him as they walk through museums, spouting endless facts about stars and constellations and all things space as they check out the astrology section all the while Grogu teaches him new sign words, Luke’s vocabulary growing by the day. And somehow, Luke will always end up looking up at just the right time and catching Din watching them with this quiet smile. Those are maybe some of his favourite moments.

He also starts coming to more Sunday dinners. At first Luke worries he’s imposing but Din and the rest of his family tell him he’s more than welcome.

“If anything, I prefer you over Djarin,” Koska says with a deadpan delivery that makes Luke question if she’s actually being serious or not.

He gets to know Din’s family better, like how Cobb grew up in a small town called Mos Pelgo not far from Luke’s uncle’s farm. They end talking often just to complain about Tatooine’s endlessly dry summers and how the sand always manages to stay with you long after you’ve left. Peli has some very interesting stories about Din while he was a teenager that often leaves Din groaning and hiding his face in his hands. Cara adds to his embarrassment with some of their more disastrous jobs when they first started working together, including the mentioning of an incident with an ice cream truck that they’ve sworn to never tell another living soul about.

“Trust me when I say you don’t want to know,” Din says.

“But –”

“You don’t. Want. To know.”

Greef is rather taken aback when he learns that Leia is Luke’s sister. He has nothing but praises to sing about her and seems rather pleased when Luke tells him Leia feels the same about the work he’s accomplished while working with the senate. Greef also has the strangest so-called “facts” about Din that he whispers to Luke whenever Din’s back is turned. Luke can’t tell if he’s lying or not and frankly, he’s too afraid to ask Din to corroborate whether they’re true at this point.

Aurora sometimes joins them too when she’s able, she and Din recalling fond memories of their times together. Cara and Luke share knowing smiles as their partners talk the night away well after everyone else has left.

More often than not, Luke ends up sleeping over on Sundays, so much so that he starts keeping a spare change of clothes in the trunk of his car for the school day on Monday – though he always seems to “forget” to bring pyjamas and so has to borrow some of Din’s. If Din knows he’s simply doing it to get to wear his boyfriend’s clothes, he doesn’t seem to mind even when some of his sweatshirts end up in Luke’s cupboard rather than being returned to his own.

It’s quite frankly perfect. Luke wouldn’t change a thing about it.

However, there is that tiny little niggling thought in his mind wondering if or when they might have their first kiss.

Not that Luke is complaining. Quite the opposite, actually. Since that first sleepover, Din’s slowly been opening up to being more physical. Coming up behind Luke while he’s making tea and wrapping strong arms around his waist, kisses on the cheek and along his hairline, cuddling on the couch, holding hands and, probably Luke’s favourite, touching their foreheads together. He’d noticed it was something special between Din and Grogu. After especially long days with one too many demanding clients, Din immediately gives Grogu a hug upon arriving home, the two of them resting their foreheads against one another and somehow all his stress and tension just seems to melt away.

So, the first time Din does it with Luke, Luke can’t help the small little gasp that escapes him. It’s quite an intimate thing, trusting a person to enter your space, the two of you closing your eyes and simply being with one another for a moment. Luke loves it, could probably never grow bored of having Din’s hands gently resting on his hips, the two of them just savouring each other for one quiet moment of the day.

Luke is determined to keep his promise. They move at Din’s pace, Luke never wanting to accidentally cross a boundary, so he doesn’t say anything about the niggling thought. Instead, he enjoys the days spent getting to know Din and seeing a side to him no one else gets to. Like when they wake up together on Monday mornings. Din always ends up tugging Luke closer, muttering “just a few more minutes” while Luke’s alarm continues to blare on in the background. Sometimes they stay there a moment longer, Luke combing his fingers through Din’s mess of curls. Other times Grogu comes in and jumps on top of Din, Din tickling his son and murmuring “I’m up, I’m up!”

Luke loves those mornings. He loves their routine.

So he’s only slightly nervous when Leia invites him and Din and Grogu over for supper the Saturday before winter break.

Of course, Luke told her about him and Din finally becoming official and whilst he loves his sister and Han dearly, he’s been wanting to keep Din to himself at least for a little bit before the dreaded “meet the family” dinner.

Technically, Din has met Luke’s family, yes, but that was before they were together, and Luke wasn’t really on his best behaviour that night either what with his blowing up at Anakin under the pretense that he’d had one too many glasses of champagne…

They’d sort of come to the silent agreement that neither of them would ever mention that little fiasco.

Besides, Dinner with Han and Leia only was definitely more manageable and a lot less likely to go up in flames than if Luke had to attempt introducing Din to his parents as his partner. He hasn’t had a sit-down dinner with his parents since he left the air force and went to college against his father’s wishes. And yes, that included him missing out on Christmas dinners with his family too.

Usually, his parents preferred a fancy eight-course dinner with the family on Christmas Eve which meant Luke could stay home and watch the TV marathon of Christmas films with Artoo curled up in his lap rather than having to wear a scratchy tux and talk to so-called family members who do not understand, and refuse to accept, the concept of liking more than one gender. On Christmas day, Luke usually goes over to Han and Leia’s to eat junk food and open up their gag gifts for each other, all the while without having to worry about running into his father.

So he isn’t too worried when Leia texts him Monday morning about inviting Din over for dinner.

**Space Buns:** _You, Din and Grogu are coming over to mine for dinner on Saturday at 6. No arguments._

**Space Twink:** _There’s no getting out of this is there?_

**Space Buns:** _Nope, you’ve put it off long enough. Besides I want to meet this adorable kid of his._

**Space Twink:** _I’ll ask if he can make it and let you know._

**Space Buns:** _Please do because if this goes well then he’s invited to Christmas lunch too._

 **Space Buns:** _Also please remind me why we chose these usernames again?_

**Space Twink:** _We were both drunk on cheap wine and thought it was funny at the time._

**Space Buns:** _Well we weren’t wrong._

 **Space Buns:** _See you Friday!_

**Space Twink:** _He hasn’t said yes yet._

**Space Buns:** _He will ;)_

*

Din is only slightly panicking about dinner with Luke’s family.

He’s met Leia Naberrie the senator before but that was strictly under work pretenses. This is meeting Leia “Luke’s Sister” Naberrie as Luke’s boyfriend and frankly… he seems more scared of the latter than the former.

“Hon, don’t worry, she already likes you,” Luke assures him. He’s sitting on Din’s bed, helping him get ready.

Leia hadn’t given a strict dress code for dinner, but Luke knows his sister. Casual wasn’t going to cut it. Which is how they’ve ended up looking through Din’s suit collection for the perfect outfit to wear – much to Luke’s excitement.

Din actually has quite an array to choose from. There are the usual navy blue and greys which Luke has seen him wear countless times for work but there’s also a traditional black tux with a bowtie to match, a maroon velvet suit and, probably Luke’s favourite of all, a night sky tux. There are literal stars and constellations woven into the dark silk of the jacket. Luke may or may not want to steal it for himself, but he’ll save that for another day.

Grogu is sitting beside Luke on the bed, silver ball rolling between his hands as he offers his opinions on the outfits Din’s been modelling for them. So far all of the options have been getting a thumbs down, sometimes even a double thumbs down for good measure. Luke is enjoying Grogu’s input immensely. Din, not so much.

Luke himself has gone for his usual go-to for these sorts of things with a charcoal black sweater over a white button-down and brown slacks. His shoes are what is called “oil slick” brogues. They are black but shine iridescent green and pink in the right lighting. Grogu has even dressed up, wearing dark jeans, a white shirt and a green waistcoat Luke had bought for him especially.

“Okay, what about this?”

Din comes out of his en suite and Luke’s jaw drops.

He’s wearing a lilac check suit, blazer undone with a plain white tee underneath and a pair of white sneakers Luke didn’t even know Din owned. It’s perfect and making him water a little bit at the mouth but he isn’t about to admit that.

Grogu seems to agree as he finally gives Din a big thumbs up.

Din does a spin on the spot, looking to Luke for his approval.

Luke decides to milk this for what it’s worth, they still have a bit of time before they need to leave. So, he stands up and circles Din slowly, carefully, like a cat stalking its prey. He cups his chin in thought, putting on an exaggerated thinking face that has Grogu giggling silently.

“Hmmm…”

Luke runs his hand over the slope of Din’s shoulders, fingers trailing down to takes the jacket lapels into his hands as he gives Din one final appraising look up and down.

He finally looks up, capturing Din’s worried gaze with his own and offers him a smirk and a wink. “It’s perfect.”

Din sighs, the tension knotting his back loosening. His hands rest easily on Luke’s hips.

“That’s a relief.”

“Quite,” Luke replies with mock-seriousness.

Din shakes his head, clicking his tongue in fond exasperation. “What am I gonna do with you?”

“Well, I can think of a few things,” Luke purrs, arms draping over Din’s shoulders.

Din’s cheeks turn that lovely shade of dusty rose, Luke beaming up at him innocently (well, as innocently as he can manage) and for a second he swears Din’s eyes dip to his lips. But just as they start to lean in Luke’s phone alarm goes off, reminding them that they need to leave now if they want to be on time. Leia will serve his head on a silver platter for dinner if they’re late.

Luke curses under his breath, stepping back from Din and switching off the alarm.

It’s probably for the best as Grogu’s still sitting on the bed as well, silver ball rolling between his fingers while he grins mischievously at them.

Din clears his throat, scrubbing a hand through his hair while sending Luke an apologetic look.

“Let’s get going,” Luke says. He speed walks for the door in the hopes that Din and Grogu won’t notice his blush.

By Din’s chuckles, he can guess he wasn’t successful.

*

It’s strange to be back at Leia’s estate, no longer a guard on the job but rather as a guest.

The guards keeping watch over the entrance gate instantly recognize Luke’s car, Luke greeting them both by name and asking how they’re doing.

Din fidgets in the passenger seat while Luke keeps up a bit of polite chitchat with the guards.

He’s never done the whole “meet the family” thing with a partner before. His relationships didn’t tend to last long enough to warrant it. With Luke, it felt easy though. He’d already met most of Din’s family and Din’s technically met most of Luke’s as well. There wasn’t going to be any of those awkward introductions required or the worries of forgetting someone’s name.

As if sensing his boyfriend’s troubled mind, Luke reaches out and grasps Din’s hand in his own, thumb stroking along Din’s knuckles even while he’s still talking to the guard.

Din releases a shaky breath, some of his nerves beginning to melt away.

By the time they’ve been let through the gate Din’s intertwined their fingers, relishing in the small skin-on-skin contact.

Luke parks a few steps away from the entrance, giving Din’s hand one final squeeze before letting it go so he can get out of the car.

Grogu’s eyes are wide with wonder as he stares up at the pristine estate before them, mouth parted in a small O as Din helps him out of the car.

Luke releases a whoosh of air, cracking his neck as if he’s preparing for a fight rather than a dinner with his family.

“You ready?” he asks, offering his hand to Din once more.

Din takes it, intertwining their fingers and kissing the back of Luke’s hand a kiss for good measure. “As I’ll ever be.”

“Into the belly of the beast we go then!”

They walk all three of them together hand in hand, Grogu still staring at the estate like it’s a fairytale castle. In his eyes, it might just be.

Luke knocks on the door and they barely have to wait a minute before it’s promptly opened by Threepio.

He smiles upon seeing Luke.

“Master Luke! Wonderful seeing you again, sir.”

“Same to you Threepio,” he says as he leads Din and Grogu through the entrance.

“Mister Djarin,” Threepio says, bowing his head in greeting.

Din does the same. “Good to see you again.” He looks down to Grogu who’s hidden himself behind his father’s leg upon seeing a stranger.

Threepio kneels so he’s at the same height as Grogu, keeping his distance as he says, “And of course, this must be Master Grogu. An honour to meet you, sir.”

Grogu’s grip on Din’s pants tighten but he also gives Threepio a small smile, bowing his head as well in greeting.

Luke offers Threepio a hand up, the butler’s knees creaking in protest.

“Thank you, sir,” he says. “Unfortunately, I’m not as spritely as I used to be.”

“Put a little oil in those joints and you’ll be good as new,” Luke jests.

Threepio rolls his eyes fondly at Luke’s rather poor joke. “If you’ll follow me, Mistress Leia and Master Han are waiting for you.”

Rather than turning right into the lounge area where the party had taken place, Threepio leads them through another set of double doors to the left to reveal a grand dining room.

Leia and the man Din guesses must be Han both turn to look at them upon their entrance. Han has a certain charisma that oozes even through his walk. He’s the kind of handsome that knows he’s good looking and is more than willing to use it to his advantage. Leia looks as stunning as always in a white jumpsuit and silver heels, the top half of her hair done up in intricate braids and silver cords, the rest hanging loose in long curtains down her back.

Leia offers a welcoming smile upon seeing them, meeting them halfway to hug her brother. She whispers something in Luke’s ear that has him sputtering.

“Mr. Djarin,” she says, turning her lovely smile on him and ignoring Luke’s mini-meltdown, “lovely to see you again.”

“Likewise. And please, call me Din,” Din says, taking Leia’s hand and kissing it in greeting.

Leia’s smile brightens. She and Luke share a look that only siblings can manage to use to communicate. Han comes up behind Leia, hand on her shoulder as he offers a, “Hey, nice to meet you. The kid’s been talking non-stop about –”

Luke makes a cutting motion in front of his neck at the same time that Leia elbows her husband none too gently in the ribs. Han tapers off, grumbling under his breath something along the lines of “What, it’s true?”

Luke’s ears are burning bright red at his brother-in-law’s slip up much to Din’s amusement.

“It’s good to meet you as well,” Din says. He gestures to where Grogu is still hiding behind his leg. “This is my son Grogu. He uses ASL to communicate so I’ll translate if he talks to you.”

Leia, like Threepio, kneels so she’s at Grogu’s height. Her white jumpsuit shimmers as she moves. Grogu, always with a weakness for shiny things, peeks out from behind his father’s leg in interest as Leia smiles at him.

“It’s very nice to finally meet you Grogu,” Leia says, speaking quietly.

Grogu gives a small wave, signing a greeting.

“He says hello, and that you’re very shiny,” Din translates with a small, amused smile.

Leia giggles, standing up. “That’s quite the compliment! I’m flattered.”

Grogu beams up at her, gripping his father’s hand now instead of hiding behind his leg.

Han claps his hands. “Right, shall we get this dinner party started?”

Leia rolls her eyes. “Han is, as he’s been telling me for the past hour, ‘darn starving’.”

“I said damn – ow!” Han pouts at Leia’s second elbow jab. She looks pointedly at Grogu in reminder that there’s children present and hence swear words, no matter how tame, are forbidden lest Grogu pick up some new unwanted vocabulary.

Han winces. “Sorry, yes. _Darn_ hungry.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Luke says, happy for a change in subject as he begins to usher them all to the end of the long table that’s been set up for them.

Leia unsurprisingly sits at the head of the table, Han on her right. Luke sits next to Han, Din and Grogu opposite them, Grogu being given a booster seat for his chair.

As soon as they’re seated Threepio appears seemingly out of thin air, wine bottle in hand.

Luke keeps to water seeing as he’s driving but Din joins Han and Leia in enjoying a glass of some very expensive Merlot.

Grogu gets his own selection between multiple fizzy drinks that all scream of an inevitable sugar rush. He looks like he’s considering just taking them all, but Grogu eventually settles on pointing towards the grape one.

“An excellent choice,” Threepio remarks, pouring the drink into Grogu’s glass with a flourish. Grogu silently giggles at the act, much to Din’s relief.

Grogu was usually shy at first with strangers but once he was more comfortable, he really lets his personality shine.

“So, Din,” Han says. “Leia tells me your company was to thank for the security for our little shindig last month?”

“That’s right.”

“Top notch job,” Han compliments.

Leia rolls her eyes. “How would you know? You were hiding with Lando most of the night and drinking yourself silly.”

Han shrugs, turning in his seat so he’s facing Luke while talking. “Word gets around fast. By the way Luke, well done on that little scene. Wish I’d been there to see it. Apparently, it was quite… _theatrical_.” Han’s eyebrows wiggle, a roguish smile curling his lips.

Luke hides his face behind his hands, pointedly looking anywhere else except at Din. Han, either relishing in Luke’s embarrassment or just unaware, keeps going.

“And apparently your beau over here had to carry you off fireman style?”

“Leia, please make it stop,” Luke groans.

There’s a twinkle of something dangerous in Leia’s eye as she says, “No, I don’t think I will.”

Luke shoots her a glare, only getting a serene smile in return while Leia sips daintily on her wine.

Much to Luke’s relief, the food is served then, everyone subsequently distracted from one of his lesser proud moments.

The dish that’s laid before Din looks like something from a five-star restaurant – the kind that can get away with charging their dishes by the hundred. Grogu’s eyes brighten at the sight of meat, knife and fork already cutting into it before the waiter’s hand has even let go of the plate.

It smells incredible and when Din places the first slice of the pulled pork into his mouth, rich flavours bursting on his tongue, he has to stop himself from producing a sound that would one hundred percent be very indecent.

It’s only on his fifth bite does he start to recognize the dish. _Arroz con gandules_ on the side, the smell of oregano, and the undeniable taste of safroto on his tongue.

“This is pernil,” he murmurs in realisation.

“It is,” Leia says. “I asked our chef to put something together from Aq Vetina. Luke mentioned you’re from there?”

“I – ahem. Uh, yes, I am,” Din stammers. He tries to catch Luke’s eye, but his boyfriend is ducking his head, hiding behind his bangs while he gnaws nervously on his bottom lip.

“Is it to your liking?” Leia asks, ever the diplomat.

“It’s perfect,” Din assures her. “It’s almost as good as my mother’s.”

Luke finally looks up and Din sends him what he hopes reads as nothing but gratitude. The fact that he tried to make Din feel a little more comfortable by including something from his culture was something no one else had ever done before.

Din signs a “Thank you”, flat fingers to his mouth and arcing down.

Luke brightens, repeating it so say, “You’re welcome.”

Din can feel Leia and Han’s eyes on them but he doesn’t mind, he’s only got eyes for Luke.

*

The rest of dinner goes without a hitch. Grogu slowly opens up and by the time dessert arrives (a giant platter of a varied selection of cookies and a glass of milk for each of them much to Grogu’s excitement) he’s talking animatedly about how much he likes school and the friends he’s made and how good of a teacher Luke is. He’s talking so quickly Din has to ask him to slow down a bit so he can translate, not that he minds. He loves seeing his son in his element.

Leia listens intently, asking all the right questions. Han offers some side commentary, usually to embarrass Luke which always earns him a slap to the bicep. He must be used to it because it doesn’t deter him from landing another comment a minute later only to be given the same result.

Overall, the dinner was a success and by the end of the night, Leia is giving Din a hug and Grogu a high-five while Han says they should do this more often.

It’s once they’re all walking to the entrance, Grogu snoozing in Luke’s arms while he talks to Han that Leia stops to talk to him.

“I’m really happy Luke met you,” she says. “He likes to put on a brave face, but I could tell he’s been lonely for a long time.”

Din’s a little shocked at this, watching as Luke kicks Han’s shin playfully for whatever comment he’s just made. He’s smiling brightly, forever surrounded by a golden halo.

But then he thinks about Luke’s apartment. How there’s no dining table and sparse, if any, photos of him and his family. How it was lived in sure but it didn’t really feel like a _home._

“I think I understand what you mean,” Din whispers.

Leia hums, watching her brother and her husband with a quiet smile. “I’ve never seen him this happy.” She looks up at Din and even though she’s a good two heads shorter than him he can feel the power emanating off her in waves when she warns, “If you break his heart, I will end you.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Din says, voice only shaking slightly. “But I want to do the complete opposite. For forever, if he’ll let me.”

Leia pats his arm, warm smile returning. “That’s what I like to hear. So, would you like to join us for Christmas lunch?”

Din does a double-take at the sudden change of topics but quickly finds himself nodding. “Yes. I’d like that a lot. Grogu will too, I’m sure.”

“He’s a sweet kid,” Leia says.

Din hums. He looks up just when Luke looks to him over his shoulder. He’s grinning, the moonlight streaming through the open door behind him. He’s practically glowing.

Din smiles. “Yeah, yeah he is.”

*

They don’t talk much on the drive home, but that’s okay. Din likes their comfortable silences. Grogu’s fast asleep in the backseat, Din’s window cracked open to allow some of the cool night breeze to flow through. Luke’s hand is intertwined with Din’s, only letting go whenever he needs to change gears but then immediately finding Din’s hand again like they’re magnets.

All too soon they’re back at Din’s, Luke putting the car into park and switching off the engine.

By now, the routine is natural. Din unlocks the door and switches on lights where necessary while Luke gathers Grogu into his arms. They go upstairs together, tucking Grogu in and quietly shutting his door.

Din takes Luke’s hand in his, pressing a kiss to his temple as they walk to his bedroom.

“That went well,” Luke whispers, smiling up at him.

“It did,” Din says. He shucks off his dinner jacket and kicks off his shoes. “Leia gave me the shovel talk, by the way.”

Luke winces. “Ah, sorry…”

“And then invited me to Christmas lunch.”

Luke’s eyes widen, brows disappearing into his hairline. “Sh-she did?”

Din nods, lips quirking at Luke’s reaction. “Yeah.”

“And… what did you say?”

“I said I’d love to.”

Luke blinks up at him in surprise. “You would?”

“Yeah. Is that okay?”

“That’s more than okay!” Luke exclaims, then immediately covers his mouth with his hand in fear of waking Grogu. “Sorry,” he squeaks.

Din chuckles. He gently grasps Luke’s wrist, pulling his hand away from his mouth. “It’s fine.”

“You don’t have plans with your family?” Luke asks.

“We usually do a big dinner on the twenty-fourth,” Din says with a shrug. “Sometimes Cara comes over on Christmas day. But I have a feeling she might be with Aurora this year.”

“I really like the idea of waking up on Christmas morning with you,” Luke whispers, voice breathy and soft.

“Me too,” Din rasps.

They’re so close, Din realises. All he can see is gold and blue, Luke’s eyes trailing across his face before he settles on his lips.

Din’s breath falters.

He knows Luke respects his boundaries. He’s been so patient and considerate, never asking too much of him or trying to take what he wasn’t comfortable giving when it came to physical intimacy. And it’s not like Din hasn’t thought about kissing him, because he has.

Perhaps there was still a small part of him that feared that if they kissed it might lead to more and then Luke would somehow change his mind and try and convince him to go further than he was comfortable with. But just as quickly as the thought appears it’s drowned out by memories of Luke. Luke cuddling with him on the couch. Luke’s fingers combing through his hair, lips pressed to his ear and whispering sweet words as he tries to coax him awake on Monday mornings. Luke avidly learning new words in ASL so he can understand Grogu on his own. Luke, who does nothing but give and never expects anything in return.

As if reading his thoughts, Luke goes up on his tiptoes slightly, hovering barely an inch away, allowing Din to choose whether or not to close the gap.

He wants to. He desperately wants to and it terrifies him a little.

_We can go at your pace._

_I never want you to feel pressured._

Releasing a shaky sigh, Din leans in, closing the gap between them.

It’s chaste and sweet, Luke smiling a little into the kiss.

Din’s fingers are shaking as they settle on Luke’s hips, fingers gripping the soft wool of his sweater.

Luke places his hands on Din’s shoulders, not moving them, just his thumbs swiping gentle strokes along his collarbones. It feels heated even through the thin cotton of his T-shirt, causing him to shiver as Luke parts his lips.

Din sucks on his bottom lip, Luke humming as he wraps his arms around Din’s shoulders entirely, bringing them a little closer together.

Din’s fingers dip beneath Luke’s sweater, trailing lightly over the sliver of golden skin peeking out there.

Luke’s hands clench in the back of Din’s shirt at the sensation, Din chuckling quietly to himself. Using his free hand, he guides Luke’s hands to his hair.

“You can pull it,” he says.

Luke nods, fingers carefully combing through his mess of curls at first. They exchange soft, mostly closed mouth kisses, Din’s fingers still teasing at the edge of Luke’s sweater until Luke gives his first experimental tug.

With an appreciative hum, Din licks at the seam of Luke’s lips, Luke giving his hair another tug as he opens up for him. Din runs his tongue along the roof of Luke’s mouth, earning a light moan and blunt fingernails scraping his scalp.

He gathers Luke closer to him, hand dipping underneath his sweater to press into the dip of his spine. Luke arches into his touch, their chests flush against each other. Din’s fingers trail lightly over Luke’s spine as if he were caressing the keys of a piano, the melody of Luke’s breathy sighs and moans filling the room.

Din nips at Luke’s bottom lip, earning another tug to his hair. He’s considering whether or not to try to get Luke out of his sweater when Luke starts to walk him backwards. His calves hit the mattress and he instinctively sits, Luke gently lowering himself into Din’s lap.

“Is this okay?” he whispers. He’s cupping Din’s jaw, thumbs tenderly stroking along his cheekbones.

Din nuzzles into his hand, placing a kiss on his palm which elicits a breathless gasp. He kisses lower, teething at Luke’s pulse point, all the while wrapping a strong arm around his slender waist and pulling him impossibly closer. Din can’t tell where he ends and Luke begins.

“Yes,” he finally says when Luke’s starting to chew the hell out of his bottom lip. Short breathy sounds escape him as Din shifts underneath him to hold him closer. Luke’s hands feel out the hard line of his shoulders, playing with his shirt collar but not dipping underneath it.

Din places a gentle kiss on the corner of Luke’s mouth, can feel Luke grinning as he keeps giving him soft butterfly kisses all over his face.

He trails his kisses along Luke’s jaw before experimentally sucking at the soft skin where his pulse is thrumming a million miles a minute.

Luke’s hands scrabble a little as Din continues to layer soft pecks with open-mouthed kisses all along the column of his neck. He undoes the top button of Luke’s shirt, trying to get more access, but Luke’s shirt and sweater are getting in the way.

“Can I take this off?” Din murmurs into Luke’s neck, fingers tugging at the hem of his sweater.

“Please do,” Luke rasps.

With Luke’s help, they manage to free his arms but somehow his head gets stuck because of the buttons.

Din can’t hold back his laughter seeing Luke with his shirt and sweater halfway up his face. Luke’s pouting, grumbling to himself as he tries to undo more buttons to free himself. They’re both giggling at the absurdness of it by the time Luke’s managed to wiggle a few more buttons loose and he can finally shuck his sweater and shirt off in one go. He chucks the offending clothes over his shoulder, not caring where they land.

Din takes him in. Luke’s hair is a mess, standing up at all odd angles. There’s a faint spattering of freckles on his shoulders, his waist tapering with a soft stomach and collarbones made for worshipping.

Din’s hands run along Luke’s skin, exploring his torso gently, tenderly, soaking in every detail. Luke has a beauty mark on his right hip just above where his slacks start. He’s a little ticklish on his lower ribs, and his shoulder blades fit perfectly in Din’s large palms.

Luke’s fingers continue to fiddle with Din’s shirt collar, fingers tracing the curls of Din’s tattoos that are just peeking out.

“How far do your tattoos go?” Luke whispers.

Din hums, hands settling on Luke’s waist. “About to my shoulders.”

Luke nibbles on his lower lip. Din desperately wants to do it for him.

“Can I see them?”

Din considers the question for a moment even though he already knows his answer.

His hands reach for the hem of his T-shirt. He peels it off, chucking it in the same direction as Luke’s sweater.

Luke’s eyes widen as he takes in Din’s tattoos.

They’re symmetrical on either arm, with thick black lines and blocks that have been coloured in along with thinner, more intricate lines inbetween. They flow into one another from his wrists all the way to his shoulders. A few lines run up the back of his neck where they’re a little less noticeable, the designs from his shoulders tapering off where his collarbones start.

Luke’s hands hover above them now. He looks to Din, waiting for permission.

Din nods and gently, so gently, Luke places his hands on Din’s bare chest. His fingers follow the intricate lines and details of his tattoos, mapping them out reverently as if he were following a map to the ultimate treasure.

It’s then he notices the scars.

Working as a bodyguard for ten years, you don’t get to walk away without a few scars. Din’s pretty lucky all things considered if you compared him to say Boba who is more scar tissue than skin at this point.

There’s the faint starburst just below his left collarbone from a stray bullet, a thick pink line cutting across his right shoulder where he got caught by a knife. A few smaller scars decorate his torso and back, most of them beginning to fade with age into thin white lines. Luke takes all of this in silently, fingers hovering above some of the larger scars as if scared they might cause him pain if he touches them.

“They don’t hurt anymore,” Din assures him quietly.

Luke finally tears his gaze away from Din’s chest, blue eyes searching his.

“Din.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss them?”

Din’s heart leaps. He nods, unable to trust his words.

Slowly, so Din can stop him if he changes his mind, Luke leans down and presses his lips to the starburst scar. Din swallows thickly, hands shaking as he holds onto Luke’s waist, Luke’s lips trailing from one scar to the next.

He’s shaking by the time Luke comes back to his lips, kissing Din gently and whispering, “I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

And that just ruins him. He clutches Luke to his chest, hugging him tightly, burning face buried in the crook of Luke’s neck.

No one’s ever said that, has been willing to make that promise. Din’s always been the protector, the one putting himself on the line for other’s safety. For Luke to say that, so openly and without any expectation of anything in return, his chest aches at the sincerity.

Luke’s fingers card through his hair soothingly, letting Din take his time to compose himself.

Eventually, Din pulls back, cupping Luke’s face in his hands. Luke nuzzles into his palm, smiling shyly at him. His pupils are blown wide, a thin ring of blue around them. His eyes flutter closed, fair lashes fanning across his cheek as Din leans in and kisses him soundly.

His hands explore Luke’s chest again, roaming over hard planes of muscle and the softer areas around his stomach.

He dips his tongue into Luke’s mouth. Luke gasps into it as his hands begin tugging at Din’s hair again as the sign to _please do that again_.

Din does, hands trailing lower so he can grip the back of Luke’s thighs and, like he weighs nothing, Din picks him up and lays him out on the mattress. Luke blinks up at him in surprise, golden hair fanned out on the pillow like a halo around his head.

“Still okay?” Din asks.

Luke nods. “Yeah. You?”

Din nods too, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down Luke’s neck again.

Luke squirms underneath him at the attention, breathy moans escaping his throat as Din sucks at his collarbones. Luke’s skin is going to be covered in purple and red marks by the end of the night.

His hand finds the small of Luke’s back again, Luke arching up into the touch so their bare chests are pressed flush against each other. Luke’s blushing under all of Din’s careful attention, a lovely pink flush decorating his cheeks and melting all the way down to his collarbones. His hands scramble uselessly at Din’s back, blunt fingernails scraping gently at the firm muscles as Din litters his chest and neck with kisses. He takes Luke’s earlobe between his teeth, sucking on it before whispering into his ear, _“Eres hermoso.”_

Luke’s entire body shudders, a pleased moan escaping his lips.

Din smiles, kissing Luke along his cheekbone, whispering more choice words as he continues to roam his hands along his body in gentle caresses.

_“Amo tu cabello dorado.”_

A thumb strokes over Luke’s pulse point.

_“Tus labios serán mi muerte._

Din grips the back of his thigh.

_“Quiero cuidarte.”_

He runs his hand through Luke’s hair, giving it a light tug.

Luke’s a mess underneath him, smothering his moans with a hand against his mouth. Din pulls it away, swallowing the sounds instead.

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” Luke whines when they part.

 _“Este es el plan,”_ Din murmurs, unable to bite back his amusement.

“You are making it very difficult not to flip you over right now,” Luke warns, giving Din’s hair a suggestive tug.

“I’d like to see you try,” Din challenges.

Luke grins and that’s Din’s only warning before he feels Luke shift his hips and then he’s splayed out on his back, Luke smiling down at him, the perfect picture of innocence.

Din’s taken aback, gaping up at Luke in surprise. “How did you –”

“I did a self-defense course a while back,” Luke replies with a shrug. “No biggie.”

Din shakes his head, fingers combing Luke’s bangs back and cupping the back of his neck. He brings Luke’s head down so he can press their foreheads together.

Luke releases a shaky breath, hands curling where they’re resting on Din’s stomach.

 _“Eres mi todo,”_ Din whispers.

He must have reached Luke’s breaking point because Luke ducks his head, capturing Din’s lips with his own in a desperate, hungry kiss. He bites Din’s bottom lip, tugging on it, Din rumbling his approval.

Luke’s hands stay on his chest, exploring the areas he knows Din’s comfortable with, all the while Din’s fingers play at the waistband of Luke’s slacks, fingers trailing up and down his shivering spine.

“Can I bite your neck?” Luke whispers directly into his ear.

Din’s hands falter, stomach doing flipflops. Luke’s voice is lower than usual, rasping yet still soft and sweet.

“Yes,” he croaks, head feeling dizzy just at the idea.

Luke starts off gentle, peppering butterfly kisses across Din’s stubbled jaw before slowly working down the column of his neck. The kisses grow hungrier, open-mouthed, Luke sucking at Din’s pulse point before he bites down.

Din holds back a whimper, Luke soothing the sting with more kisses.

Din cradles the back of Luke’s head, fingers clenching in his hair while Luke bites and licks at his neck.

_Stars above…_

Luke finally pulls away, surveying his handiwork with a pleased grin. Din’s neck is no doubt going to be a mess of bite marks and bruises but he kind of likes the idea of being marked by Luke. His fingers trail over the lovebites he’s left on Luke’s collarbones.

“Now we match,” he murmurs.

Luke chuckles. He rolls off of Din and Din instinctively wraps an arm around his waist, pulling him close. He rests his head on Luke’s chest, can hear his racing heartbeat begin to slow into a steady thrum as they lay there together.

Din’s starting to fall asleep when Luke whispers, barely audible, “Thank you for trusting me.”

Din holds Luke a little closer.

“Thank you for caring.”

*

Christmas Eve with Din’s family is an _experience._

Up until he met Din, Luke only knew of quiet family dinners where everyone was on their best behaviour and if you so much as scraped a fork against your plate you’d receive multiple glares.

This is the complete opposite of that.

Everyone is dressed to the nines in the ugliest Christmas sweaters Luke has ever witnessed including Cobb’s green sweater with actual tinsel and baubles hanging on it and Boba’s blue sweater that has a scandalously nude Santa Clause posed with a gift that reads “I have a big package for you”. All of them are more than a little tipsy on the eggnog Peli brought, meaning the conversations are louder and more boisterous than ever. People are pulling out their most disastrous family Christmas stories that are both equally hilarious and distressing. Grogu is wearing a Christmas hat that also has elf ears and insisted Din wear reindeer antlers which Din’s refused to take off since Grogu plopped them on his head that morning. The dining table is laden with enough mouth-watering food to feed an entire army, but Luke doesn’t doubt they’re going to somehow finish it all anyway.

Aurora and Cara had helped Din this time with making dinner while Luke had stood a safe distance away and offered to make them tea and coffee inbetween. He’d also kept Grogu busy by helping him decorate pre-baked gingerbread cookies which turned out much neater than Luke expected. Grogu definitely has a flair for art, he’ll give him that.

Once everyone’s semi-recovered from their food comas, all the Christmas crackers popped and horrible jokes read aloud, it’s time to exchange gifts. Din had explained that they have a Secret Santa gift-giving tradition mainly because it’s a little cheaper to buy one thoughtful present for someone than trying to get everyone equally good gifts.

They’d pulled names from a hat during one of their Sunday suppers a few weeks before Christmas to give everyone enough time to organize their gifts. Luke had thankfully pulled Cara’s name. He knew almost instantly what he was going to get her.

As people begin to open their gifts, Luke becomes a little worried that his is a gag gift, but his fears are quickly assuaged when Cobb opens up his present and bursts out laughing. He holds up a shirt with a silhouette of a cowboy riding a horse with a bright rainbow behind it. It reads “I was a gay cowboy before it was cool”.

“Koska, I know you’re behin’ this genius!” Cobb crows, still unable to contain his laughter.

Koska nods, the bare beginnings of a smile quirking at her lips.

“Alright, I’m next!” Cara says, grabbing her gift. Luke watches his bottom lip trapped between his teeth as he awaits her reaction.

She tears at the paper and gasps. “Okay, who is responsible for this?” she says. She’s grinning a mile wide as she holds up a pair of socks with cartoon boobs on them, everyone bursting out laughing. Her smile only broadens when she sees the second part of her gift and she’s laughing so much that Aurora has to take it from her to show everyone what it is. It’s a mug with a cute little dinosaur on it who’s tongue is sticking out. The word above it reveals that it’s a “Lickalottapus”.

Cara’s scrubbing tears from her eyes as she says, “Pretty Boy, that’s gotta be from you. Please tell me I’m right.”

Luke grins, blushing slightly at the nickname. “Yeah, it was me.”

Cara places her gifts in Aurora’s lap, standing up from where she’d been seated on the carpet to come and give Luke a bone-breaking hug.

“Thanks, short stuff,” she says.

“You’re welcome,” he wheezes.

Grogu gets a new colouring book and some very fancy looking art pencils from Greef along with a whole packet of his favourite cookies. His eyes turn the size of saucers when he sees them and he instantly leaps off of Din’s lap and runs to Greef, giving him a big hug in thanks.

When Din gets around to finally opening his gift it’s only to sigh with great disdain and cover his face in his hands.

“What is it?” Luke asks, curiosity piqued.

Din removes his hands, revealing that he’s trying to bite back a grin as he holds up his gift for all to see.

He’s also gotten a T-shirt. It’s got a large heart on the front in the asexual flag colours, the text reading, “Asexual in the streets, still asexual in the sheets.”

Luke snorts, the others not far behind as laughter fills the room once more.

“Dune, I know this is your doing,” Din says, grinning despite himself.

Cara winks and blows him a kiss. “You know you love me.”

Din shakes his head in mock-admonishment. “Yeah, I do.”

Luke’s the last to open his gift. It’s small and lightweight, wrapped neatly in gift paper depicting cats hiding in Christmas stockings. He unwraps it carefully much to Cara’s irritation and his heart stops upon seeing what it is.

“No way… NO WAY!”

Luke holds up a seemingly empty modernistic hilt of a sword. Everyone looks highly confused until Luke flicks it and with a flourish, a plastic tubular blade appears. He presses a button on the hilt, and it lights up bright green.

Luke stands up, giving it a few experimental twirls. A strange whooshing sound effect plays with every movement. He’s grinning so much his cheeks are beginning to ache.

“No offense, Skywalker, but what the heck is that thing?” Fennec asks, eyeing him like he’s gone crazy.

“It’s a limited-edition lightsaber toy from this old sci-fi film I loved as a kid. The film’s practically a cult classic. It didn’t do well in the box office, so the merch is super rare and hard to come by!” Luke explains giddily. “I always wanted one of these as a kid growing up!” Anakin had hated Luke’s obsession with a film which he considered tacky and B-grade at best so he’d never been willing to buy Luke the saber even though he could easily afford it.

Luke finally tears his gaze away from the lightsaber to look back at Din who’s smiling fondly up at Luke.

They’d watched the film together well before they’d started dating, Luke telling Din about the limited merch and how badly he’d wanted the green lightsaber wielded by the main character. He didn’t think he’d remember something like that.

But he did, and Luke loves him all the more for it.

Luke switches off the light, retracting the plastic tube and tucking the hilt in his pocket so he has both hands free to cup Din’s face and kiss him.

There’s wolf whistles and cheers going off in the background, but Luke doesn’t care. He pulls away from Din, whispering just between the two of them, “You’re amazing, do you know that?”

Din’s entire face has gone bright red at the unexpected kiss but still, he brushes Luke’s bangs back so he can press their foreheads together.

“Anything for you, love.”

*

Din’s uncharacteristically the first to wake up on Christmas morning. If he squints, he can see the first sign of snowfall through the small crack between the curtains.

Luke shifts, muttering something in his sleep. He’s laying with his back pressed to Din’s chest, Din hugging his waist, their legs tangled. Din’s also getting a mouthful of blonde hair. He wrinkles his nose, huffing in amusement. Luke shifts a little again but shows no sign of waking up.

It’s very rare for Din to be the first of them awake. Luke usually has the honour of trying to find new and creative ways to wake Din up, ranging from childishly blowing air into his ear to kissing every inch of him he can reach while still in Din’s sleepy clutches.

But now, for the first time, Din finally gets to enact some revenge.

Din grins to himself, nuzzling the back of Luke’s neck with his nose. He presses a kiss there then blows on the slightly wet spot, Luke wiggling a little at the sensation. Meanwhile, his hands slowly creep up Luke’s (re: Din’s) sleep shirt, reaching for the bottom of his ribs where he knows he’s most ticklish. He’s barely begun his feather-light strokes at Luke’s ribs when Luke suddenly turns around. He grabs Din’s hands, pinning them to the mattress as he smirks down at his boyfriend.

“You didn’t really think that was going to work, did you?”

Din huffs, blowing a dark curl out of his eyes. “So you were awake.”

Luke shrugs. “Eh, somewhat.” He leans down, face barely an inch away from Din’s. His eyes narrow into slits, lips pursed as he asks, “Were you going to tickle me awake?”

Din doesn’t say anything, just matching Luke’s intense stare with one of his own.

When it seems like neither of them are going to back down Din lightly adds, “You know I was trained for hostage and kidnapping situations.”

Luke nods with a noncommittal hum.

“I could do this all day,” Din continues.

Luke’s eyes dart to Din’s lips. He slowly leans down, closing the tiny gap of distance between them and just when Din thinks Luke’s going to give in and kiss him, he pulls up.

“I’ll take that into consideration,” Luke whispers in his ear instead.

He’s grinning smugly as he releases Din’s wrists, rolling off of where he’d been sitting perched on Din’s hips and making as if he’s going to go about his day normally without granting Din his good morning kiss.

“Oh, you little – come here!”

Din grabs Luke around the waist, tugging him back so he falls onto the mattress with a startled laugh.

“Did you really think you could leave this bed without punishment for that little stunt?” Din grumbles, trapping Luke underneath him.

Luke’s breathless with laughter but he still manages to arch a brow in question as he jokily remarks, “Hm… Din, I think your kink is showing.”

Din can’t help it, he’s laughing too. “Oh, shush you.”

“Make me,” Luke says cheekily.

Din clicks his tongue but he’s already leaning in as he mumbles, “I just might.”

Luke hums as Din kisses him, both of them smiling.

It’s slow and chaste, Din peppering Luke’s face with soft butterfly kisses. His forehead, his eyelids, his cheeks, the corners of his mouth.

Luke hugs him close, giggling under all the attention.

“Merry Christmas,” Din murmurs, finally giving him a proper kiss.

Luke grins, hands cupping Din’s face. “Merry Christmas.”

The door creaks open behind them. There’s the sound of small feet pattering and then Grogu comes flying, landing on top of Din.

“Oof!” Din says as if his son weighs a thousand pounds.

Luke on the other hand is starting to look a little blue in the face from Din and Grogu’s combined weight on top of him.

Din rolls off of him, taking Grogu with him.

Grogu’s hair is pressed flat on one end and is a complete bird’s nest on the other. He grins, signing his own “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, bud,” Din says, hugging his son close.

Luke, having recovered from the dogpile, reaches for his phone to check the time. He winces. “We need to leave in the next ten minutes if we want to make it to Leia’s on time.”

Everyone scrambles to get ready and gather their things. Din’s on presents while Luke helps Grogu tie his shoes and do up his jacket. Snow is continuing to fall in light flurries once they’re all dashing out of the house and loading themselves up in Luke’s car.

“You gonna be okay to drive in the snow?” Din asks Luke.

“Nothing I haven’t done before,” Luke assures him. He puts the radio on, a Christmas tune blaring through the speakers.

“Alrighty, let’s get this show on the road!”

*

They’re only five minutes late, arriving at the exact same time their takeout lunch is being delivered.

“Master Luke, Master Din and Master Grogu, always good to see you!” Threepio says while he’s paying the delivery guy.

“Need help with that?” Luke asks, already taking some of the bags before Threepio can say no.

This time they’re led to the lounge area where Leia and Han are sitting on a pristine white leather couch. They’re still in their pyjamas, Leia wearing a white silk robe and fluffy pink slippers while Han has an old varsity sweatshirt on.

“You made it!” she cries when she sees them. She drags Luke and Din down into a two-armed hug. “I was worried you wouldn’t make it with the snow.”

“We managed alright,” Luke chuckles, giving Leia a kiss on the cheek when she pulls back.

“I told her not worry,” Han says. His eyes fall on the bags of takeout in Luke’s arms and he immediately makes to grab them. Leia slaps his hand with a stern glare.

“Can you not think with your stomach for two seconds?” Leia chastises.

Han grumbles but doesn’t argue, instead greeting Din with a friendly handshake.

They’d been told to all come in their pyjamas – a years-long tradition for Luke, Han and Leia. Grogu was more than happy to keep his frog onesie on. Din had slipped on one of his comfiest cable knit sweaters to keep out the winter chill and Luke was, as usual, wearing sleep clothes stolen from Din’s closet including an oversized sweatshirt that creates sweater paws with how long the sleeves are.

Din places their gifts under the frankly ginormous Christmas tree while Han and Luke lay out their takeout orders on the picnic blanket that had been brought out especially.

“Where’s Artoo?” Luke asks, looking about the large room. Luke usually brought Artoo along in his cat carrier but because he was sleeping over at Din’s the night before, Leia said they’d look after him for the weekend.

There’s the sound of a jingling bell and with an excited yowl, Artoo comes rushing into the lounge, immediately hopping into Luke’s lap.

Luke strokes his cat with a roll of his eyes, assuring him that “Yes, I missed you too.”

Grogu’s eyes widen at the sight of the cat. Luke notices his interest and shuffles so he’s sitting next to Grogu, Artoo still settled in his lap.

He talks quietly, showing Grogu how to stroke Artoo. Grogu gives the cat a hesitant stroke, immediately pulling his hand back in case Artoo does something with it. Artoo blinks at him with his wide, blue eyes, but otherwise doesn’t protest the extra attention.

Grogu tries again, giggling silently when Artoo butts his head into his palm with a loud purr.

“So, how was your Christmas Eve?” Han asks.

“Good,” Din replies, still watching his son and boyfriend with a no-doubt fond look on his face. “Peli tried a new eggnog recipe that kicked in far quicker than any of us anticipated.”

“Agh, that sounds like heaven,” Leia groans.

Han nods in agreement. “The only alcoholic drinks available at the in-laws’ is champagne and white wine so you can only begin to imagine our suffering.”

“Oh please, at least you could drink anything remotely resembling alcohol. I was stuck with water the entire evening!” Leia cries, poking her husband in the chest. “And you know I can’t talk to Aunt Dahlia while I’m still sober!”

“Wait, why did you have to stick to water?” Luke asks.

Leia’s expression softens. She and Han share a look.

Realisation twinkles in Luke’s eyes, his jaw dropping. “No… you’re –”

“Pregnant,” Leia says, nodding enthusiastically.

“OH MY GOD!” Luke rushes to his sister’s side, dislodging Artoo in the process. The cat mewls in protest, immediately settling in Din’s lap instead.

“I’M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!” Luke yells, squeezing Leia until she’s breathless.

Din watches all of this with a small smile, enjoying seeing Luke light up while he gabbles about all the cool things he’s going to do with his future niece and/or nephew, Leia and Han nodding along.

Artoo paws at Din, looking up at him imploringly. Din sighs but relents, scratching the needy cat under his chin.

Once Luke’s finally calmed down a bit, Din speaks up. “Congratulations, you guys.”

“Thanks, Din,” Han replies. “Just know that I’m coming to you for tips cause goodness knows we’re gonna need it.”

“I adopted Grogu when he was three so thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with the diaper stage,” Din replies apologetically.

Han pulls a face, turning to Leia. “That’s smart, why didn’t we think of that?!”

“Hush dear,” Leia says, smooshing a finger to her husband’s lips. Han rolls his eyes, gently removing her hand to kiss her on the lips instead.

Luke wrinkles his nose at the display of affection, pulling a face that has Grogu grinning before shuffling back to Din’s side.

Grogu tugs on Luke’s sleeve to get his attention, signing a question. Luke frowns a little as he tries to translate it himself then suddenly his face goes bright red.

“What did he say?” Din asks, too distracted with Artoo to have seen what Grogu signed.

Luke clears his throat, scrubbing a hand through his hair. “He, uh, he wanted to know if that means he’s getting a cousin?”

Din falters, looking down to where his son is looking up at him with hope in his eyes.

He’s trying to think of an easy way to explain that that wasn’t how it works when Leia says, “Of course that does.”

Luke and Din’s head snap to look back at her in shock. She smiles coolly at the two of them, eyes darting to Luke where she holds his gaze a moment. They seem to be communicating – how, Din has no clue.

“Trust me, I gave up trying to understand their twin stuff long ago,” Han assures him in a stage whisper.

Din offers him a grateful smile. It was nice to know he wasn’t the only clueless one when it came to Luke and Leia’s strange dynamic.

Luke finally huffs, breaking their stare off, Leia looking rather smug. She claps her hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Let’s eat!”

“Let’s,” Han agrees, opening up the nearest takeout box. It seems they got a little bit of everything, ranging from pizza to tacos to sushi to stir fry.

Grogu doesn’t need telling twice, instantly reaching for the slice of pizza with the most amount of bacon on it.

“Din?”

Din blinks, looking up to find Luke watching him, a slight furrow to his brow. He signs, asking if Din’s okay.

Din spells out the letters O and K, offering Luke an assuring smile.

Luke returns it, silently offering up the box with the tacos in it.

Once everyone’s eaten their fill, it’s present-opening time.

Leia immediately reaches for a large rectangular gift and places it in front of Grogu. “This is from Han and me,” she says.

Grogu’s eyes light up, small hands ripping at the paper with glee. His mouth drops into a large O when he sees that it’s a paint by numbers kit.

“Luke said he’s rather arty, so I hope it’s okay?” Leia asks, sounding uncharacteristically uncertain.

Grogu immediately signs his thanks, Din translating for him.

“He says thank you, and that Luke will send you a picture once he’s finished it.”

Leia’s uncertainly melts, a warm smile taking its place. “I’d love that,” she says to Grogu.

“Alright, kid, you’re up next,” Han says, grabbing another rectangular gift and plopping it in Luke’s lap.

Like the night before, Luke carefully unwraps it by expertly peeling the cellotape rather than tearing the paper. He gasps upon seeing what it is.

“I can’t you believe you actually bought it!”

Din hooks his chin over Luke’s shoulder, seeing that it’s a kit to build a model spacecraft.

“Well, your eyes just lit up when you saw it the other day, so I figured why not,” Han says with a shrug. His usual suave persona softened, genuine care and affection for his brother-in-law shining through.

Luke hugs the box to his chest, grinning at Han. “It’s perfect, thank you. Din, could you get our gifts?”

Din is about to get up when he realises Artoo is still purring in his lap. Luke chuckles, telling Din it’s okay and gets up instead. He hands out his and Din’s gifts to Leia and Han.

Leia looks surprised upon seeing one from Din. “Oh, you didn’t have to get us anything.”

“I wanted to,” Din reassures her. “Besides, Grogu insisted.”

Grogu nods, miming opening a gift before pointing to Leia and Han enthusiastically.

They open their gifts, both of them chuckling when they see the hand-written cards from Grogu. Leia gets a new makeup pallet with shiny eyeshadow that Grogu insisted would look amazing on her. Han gets a selection of chocolates with liquor inside along with a gift card to a bookshop he’d mentioned in passing.

“These are wonderful,” Leia says. “Thank you, the both of you.”

Din’s cheeks heat a little as he says, “You’re welcome.”

“Oh! We nearly forgot!” Leia says, patting Han’s bicep. He reaches under the tree for one more gift, offering it to Din.

Luke picks up a protesting Artoo from Din’s lap so he has more space, Din taking the proffered gift with shaking hands.

“You didn’t have to –”

“We wanted to,” Leia says. She wiggles on the spot, unable to contain her excitement as she says, “Well, go on, open it!”

Din does so, tearing at the paper. He freezes upon seeing what it is.

It’s a cookbook, but not just any cookbook, a cookbook that specifically holds traditional recipes from Aq Vetina and a few other Latino countries.

“I –” Din clears his throat, fighting back the tears he can feel prickling at eyes. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome,” Leia says, Han nodding in agreement.

Luke rubs soothing circles onto Din’s back, offering him a shy smile. Din kisses his temple, gathering Luke and Grogu close.

This, right here, truly feels like home.

*

**6 MONTHS LATER**

“I think that’s the last of it!”

Luke places the final cardboard box down with a groan, wiping at his sweating brow. You’d think with how small Luke’s apartment was that he’d have fewer things to move but boy was Din wrong.

At least half of these boxes were filled with shoes alone, the other half a mish-mash of clothes, books and precious knick-knacks.

Din sighs, chugging down a glass of cool water now that most of the hard work was done. He eyes the lounge, now covered in cardboard boxes, for a familiar head of curls.

“Have you seen Grogu?” he asks.

“I think he’s still upstairs with Artoo,” Luke answers. He grins, “Those two are inseparable. It’s kinda cute.”

Din smiles, placing his glass down and approaching Luke.

Luke immediately falls against Din’s broad chest, Din taking on his slumped weight. They were both exhausted, Din’s muscles aching from over-use, but still, he holds Luke close, the two of them swaying a little.

“So, how does it feel to be home?” he whispers into Luke’s ear.

Luke gives his waist an extra squeeze. “It feels amazing.” He pulls back, smiling fondly up at Din. “Welcome home.”

Din grins, resting their foreheads against each other with an easy sigh.

“Welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! Ya'll it was so hard trying to think up everyone's gifts like I struggle when it comes to gift-giving so this was quite the challenge I set up for myself wow.
> 
> Cara's [socks](https://i.etsystatic.com/23549565/c/1952/1550/410/351/il/b80d9e/2888901119/il_340x270.2888901119_7job.jpg) and [mug](https://i.etsystatic.com/24116335/d/il/cf1f54/2659302654/il_340x270.2659302654_3hz0.jpg?version=0) are real, as is [Din](https://images.lookhuman.com/render/standard/0023000700000500/3600-black-md-t-asexual-in-the-streets-still-asexual-in-the-sheets.jpg) and [Cobb's](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_bb8W7kCHQ/TpG8tsnMJMI/AAAAAAAAAIs/bKtU7ARVN8M/s1600/tumblr_lo5dqeCzIh1qcfoo3o1_500.jpg) shirts! Boba and Cobb's Christmas sweaters are also real things, I did not make that shit up lol
> 
> [This](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/bf/56/e1/bf56e1249d5412e316c5c8831f879bc3.jpg) is Din's outfit for his dinner at Leia's and the [star jacket](https://static.theblacktux.com/products/tuxedos/Night%20Sky%20Velvet%20Shawl%20Jacket%20Tuxedo/01_2019_0924_TBT_HC19_eComm_05_NightSkyVelvet_361.JPG?width=845&height=875) is a real thing too!
> 
> SPANISH TRANSLATION:
> 
> Eres hermoso - You're beautiful
> 
> Amo tu cabello dorado - I love your golden hair
> 
> Tus labios serán mi muerte - Your lips will be my death
> 
> Quiero cuidarte - I want to take care of you
> 
> Este es el plan - That is the plan
> 
> (I don't speak Spanish so if I'm incorrect please feel free to correct me!)

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat to me on Tumblr [@subtlehysteria](https://subtlehysteria.tumblr.com) if you like!


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